The Bonds We Make
by Bladedream
Summary: Story about many adventures, and their journeys and the connections they make with others The choices we make, the bonds we forge... life is affected by those around us. Rated for mild cursing, brief nudity, and violence. It IS World of WARcraft :P
1. Capture

A/N: This will be a sort of long introduction, but here goes:

I've been playing World of Warcraft for some time now, at least a year, possibly a year and a half. As I journey through the world on my many alts, I often get ideas for little mini stories, flashes of character moments. Sometimes, questing alongside those of the other faction, I wonder how it would be if we could interact more than just an emote; would there verbal abuse, or friendly small talk before we both went on our way, two adventurers out in the world trying to grow stronger and NOT die too often.

Finally, I sat down and started writing out one mini-story, then stopped, because the multitude of characters I'd created seemed overwhelming. They still are. However, I once again picked up the story, and wrote out a general plotline, trying to keep track of the characters. And trying to make sure they fit into the lore in some way; I haven't played the other Warcraft games, however, I do spend hours at story isn't about epic battles against Illidan or armies descending into Molten Core to defeat a powerful elemental lord. It isn't about characters starting as low levels and working their way up to great heroes. It's about the connections to other people we make in our adventures. It's about the choices we make, and the friendships or enemies we make. It shows that those of differing races can get along, and that we try to get by, dealing with hardships, whether it's that annoying mob, or the prejudice towards our race. It's also about how our actions and the people around us can change us, from the lone hunter, stoically facing the world with naught but an animal by their side becoming more open towards working with others, to a young mage learning to be strong in a difficult world.

The characters don't change the Horde vs. Alliance standpoint. They don't stop the Burning Legion, or destroy the Scourge. They don't heal the land from the corruption twisting it. They aren't epic, legendary, uberly awesome heroes. They're the everyday adventurers, strong in their own right, making their way through the world and forging friendships along the way.

I can't promise to update this frequently; history has shown I often forget, or get distracted. I can't promise that each chapter will be the same length. Many chapters deal with different characters (some which are based on in game friends and my own alts, others created randomly), seeming like a collection of short stories; I promise, they eventually interact with each other. I can say that I do have plans for the story, and that I at least have chapters ready and waiting to be posted later. I can't promise to exactly portray each class, and race perfectly, as I'm still learning how each class works, and the personalities of the differing races.

I do hope the story is enjoyed, and that you smile, laugh, or feel in some (positive) way for the story. Please, let me know how you feel towards it, as such helps me grow as an author. So, without further ado, I give you, The Bonds We Make. Read... Review... Enjoy.

Edit: Forgot that after posting, I'd edited the inconsistency with the "I'm a mage" ... "How'd you know I was a mage?" thing, then didn't repost the edited. Fixed now, or at least it should be.

**The Bonds We Make**

_Capture: Lena and Jang'Ai_

Creeping past the trees, Lena stopped to stare at the river in front of her. She'd heard the running water, and after having killed that spider back there, she felt like she could use a good bath. Especially with the blood and spider ichor now covering her; she felt gross, and her robes torn. Approaching the river, she glanced around her. No creatures. No elemental beings tainted and ready to attack. No one around but her, and the water. Still, she bit her lip, debating. Should she bathe now? Or should she wait until she headed back to Astranaar?

Deciding to bathe first, she slipped off her robe and stepped into the water. It was cold, and sent shivers up and down her body, but it was so nice to take a bath, even a cold one. She began washing off the grime from her battles with the wild creatures of the forest, relishing being clean again. It was one thing she missed about being in a town or city, versus the adventuring out in the middle of nowhere; she had more opportunities to clean herself when in civilized places.

So absorbed in her bathing, Lena failed to notice that she was being watched.

Jang'Ai had been passing by, heading back to the post after aiding a friend, when he heard movement. Stopping, he paused to look around and saw human footprints in the soft forest ground.. That gave him pause, especially with how close to the Horde outpost he was. Humans shouldn't be so close, unless they were spying or causing trouble for his allies.

Glancing at the red raptor next to him, he slowly crept forward towards the river, following the tracks. He stopped abruptly at the sight before him: A young female bathing in the river, her nubile form barely hidden beneath the water. Her back was to him, and she seemed absorbed in washing her dark hair, and he moved forward, grabbing the bag and discarded robe he saw on the ground. Backing up to the trees again, he hid behind them and waited.

Refreshed and clean, Lena walked to the shore, then came to a halt as she saw her robe was gone. Her eyes widened and she frantically looked up and down the river bank searching for it. Where had it gone? Had an animal ran off with it? Or, worse, was she not alone, and someone had watched her? Hesitantly stepping out of the river, she started for the trees, still looking. It wasn't until she suddenly found herself frozen in place, frost covering her, that she realized she'd walked into a trap. A tall troll stepped out from the trees, looking down at her. Were she able to move, she'd have screamed.

The troll pulled rope out from his own bag, and walked towards her. Canceling the trap's affects, he immediately tied her up, before she was able to fire off a spell. She immediately began struggling and writhing to try and free herself from the rope, but he had made the knots too strong; he obviously knew what he was doing.. Taking her over to a tree, he forced her down and tied her to the tree as well. Again she struggled, and again she was unable to get free.

Stepping back to admire his handiwork, Jang'Ai knelt down and began going through her bag. Some gold coins, but very few. Food, water, both radiating magic; obviously conjured, not bought. An extra robe, a blanket and other essential camping supplies, a few pieces of metal armor, likely picked up from creatures in the forest, some meat, and some cloth.. Not much worth taking, aside from the gold coins and the armor, which might sell. Along with a dirty and torn robe he'd found near the bag, there was also a wooden staff, likely her weapon. Little help it had been.

He set the bag down and looked at her, noting the fear and anger in her pale blue eyes, and that she was shivering. Whether from the cold or her nudity, he wasn't sure, but he tossed the blanket over her to allow her some modesty. She blushed, and he grinned. So young and new, she probably was. Yet, what was she doing out here, far from the Alliance towns? Was she spying? She was too weak, he felt, to be any threat should she dare attack,. But scouting out information, she could very well be doing. She could be a skilled spy behind that pale, innocent face. He snorted; yeah right. She looked too scared and naive to be a spy, and a good spy wouldn't have been caught bathing like that. Or been foolish enough to try.

Still, he would have to question her, and then decide what to do with her. "Wat you be doing out here, girlie?" he asked her. In Common. She looked surprised that he spoke, but then again, most thought his race to be too savage or barbaric to be capable of speech. Especially the arrogant humans.

"I... I was just... just bathing..." she said, her voice shaking. He shook his head.

"Nah, watcha be doin' out in dis part of Ashenvale?" he clarified. She blinked, and frowned.

"E-explorng the forest... and... and I was heading out to... to investigate the demons, southeast of here..." she replied, looking unsure. He frowned at her. Exploring or scouting? And why would such an innocent girl like her be sent out to check out the demons of Felfire Hill? She looked barely strong enough to take on the wolves, bears, and spiders of the forest, much less the demons.

"Why ya be explorin', girlie?" he asked.

"Cause I wanted to see what's out here. I like to learn and know things. I was learning about the forest," she said, and now she sounded angry. He laughed.

"Witout an elf ta guide an' protect ya? Ya be a fool, girlie," he told her. She glared at him.

"I don't... don't need someone to guide or protect me. I can protect myself, Troll. I'm not a fool, and stop calling me girlie. I have a name," she said. He laughed again, and shook his head.

"Oh yeah, ya protected yaself real good to be caught bathing in da river, and so close to Splintertree Post, girlie. Ya must be a fool... or real naïve," he said. "And I dun care about ya name, I won't be knowing ya long enough for it to matter," he added. Standing and walked to the river, he looked down into it. A bath actually wouldn't be too bad right now, and it was getting dark. He would head to the post in the morning and deliver her there. Let the orcs and tauren deal with her then, and decide what to do with her. Going back to his own bag, he ignored whatever she was saying to him and began to set up camp. He built a fire and set up his bedding. He had some food stored in the bag as well, but he wasn't ready to cook it just yet.

Again heading for the water, he motioned for the raptor to be on guard, to attack anything that got too close, before he stripped himself of his armor and stepped into the water. He heard a startled shriek from the girl, and he grinned to himself. Was she really that innocent? Ah, she'd be fun to play with, if he were interested. As she had earlier, he began cleaning his body from the filth a days worth of battle and wandering had caused.

Lena's eyes widened as she stared open-mouthed at the troll. Had he no decency? No, of course he didn't, he was a troll. After all, he had barely bothered to cover her except with a blanket that barely stayed up, and now he was bathing nude in front of her. Vulgar, crude beast. Still, once the shock wore down, she had to admit he was finely built, for a troll. A lanky but strong build, and he was so incredibly tall when he stood up straight. She blushed as she realized she'd been staring at him, and turned her head away to look at the raptor, instead. Bright, blood red scales and savagely intelligent pale, silvery blue eyes. She shuddered and looked down, wondering what was to happen.

As the troll climbed out of the river, he dressed into a tunic, pants, and his mail chest piece, the majority of his armor set aside. He walked to the fire and began to prepare his meal. Lena trembled..

"Are you going to eat me?" she asked, frightened. He began to laugh, a deep rumble that echoed out into the encroaching night. When the laughter finally died, he looked at her, his amber eyes glinting with mischief and amusement.

"Oh, yeah, girlie, I be planning ta cut ya up and make a good meal out of you," he replied. At her look of terror, he laughed again. "No, silly girl. My tribe don' be cannibals anymore. We don' eat people no more, Thrall don' like it and da orcs be our friends. Learn da difference 'tween the troll tribes, girlie, before ya open ya big mouth again. Ya might've made another troll angry, saying dat."

Lena winced and ducked her head. Several minutes passed, and he sat back to eat. She looked at him, her stomach growling. But she refused to ask for food. "What's going to happen to me?" she asked quietly.

He paused his meal, and looked at her. "I be takin' ya to da post in da mornin', and handin' ya over to da guards. Dey'll probably ask ya questions. If yer as innocent as I t'ink ya are, dey might let ya go a bit down the road, towards Astranaar. If ya be knowing t'ings ya shouldn't be, well, den I suppose you'll be in some sort of trouble. Pity if dat happens, girlie. G'luck if it does," he told her. She bit her lip.

"I don't know anything, honest. I didn't know I was that close to the post... I wandered off the path, a spider attacked... and then I got lost. I swear!" she said. He shook his head.

"ya innocence ain't for me to decide, girlie. But dun worry, da orcs and tauren aren't as bad as ya t'ink. Dey'll prob'ly let ya go, so calm down an' go to sleep," he said. Finishing his food, he hesitated and glanced at her. He'd heard her stomach growl, and not wanting to be a complete ass to her, he picked up a piece of meat and held it out to her. She turned her face away, eying him suspiciously. He rolled his eyes. "iI'd be stupid to take ya prisoner, and poison ya, girlie," he said. She hesitated, then leaned her head forward to take a bite. He continued holding the food out to her as she ate it, then went to his bedding and laid down, eyes closing.

Lena watched as the troll fell asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. Even the raptor appeared to be dozing off, crouched in place as it was and eyes half-lidded. However, the tension in both hunter and pet told her that should something come, they'd be instantly ready for battle. The soldiers in her home of Theramore had been the same way when they first had landed in Dustwallow Marsh, ready for battle even in sleep. Her father had once commented that a good fighter slept with one eye open.

She shivered and tried to get warm with just the blanket half covering her. She began to doze, jerking awake throughout the night to try and get comfortable again. Halfway through the night, she awoke to see the troll standing over her. She cowered back, seeing the knife in his hands. It wasn't until she felt the slack in the ropes, and him picking her up, that she realized he'd freed her from the tree, if not her hands. Setting her down on the bedding and wrapping the blanket around her. He joined her, pulling his own blanket over them both. Before she could say anything, to protest or thank him, his eyes were closed again, one arm around her tightly to prevent her escape.

She squirmed slightly, feeling uncomfortable in her nudity and his close proximity. After a few moments, she heard him chuckle. "Ya shouldn't be so worried, little one. I ain't interested in a little girl like ya; if I wanted a female, I could find a strong troll warrior woman, not some magic-using, weak girl barely out of childhood," he said, opening an eye to look at her. She blushed and glared at him.

"I'm not weak, I haven't been a child for a few years now... and how did you know I use magic?" she demanded. He grinned.

"Ya skin is pale, so ya don' come outside often," he said, then poked her arm. "And ya don' have much muscle, so ya not even a rogue, and I saw that ya got no scars, so ya definitely young and still weak. Ya wore a robe, so ya do magic," he said, then yawned. She blushed again, realizing how much of her he'd seen. "Ya best be in a town, reading, and let da adventurein' to da warriors, or next time ya might get hurt," he told her. She scowled and began to protest, but he was asleep again. She wouldn't leave the adventuring to others, ever. She wanted to see and know and learn for herself, not hear grand stories from others.

She stayed awake staring at him, her eyes wide as she studied the troll up close. His skin was blue, and reminded her of the Night Elves of the forest, and of her friend, Nareeka Wolfsong, whose skin was purple. His hair was wild and a dark, almost black blue. And one of his tusks brushed against her face, sharp and thick. She should be afraid, and yet she felt warm and oddly safe. If anything came to attack, both he and the raptor would protect her, even if in the morning she would be handed over to the orc guards. The warmth of the two blankets and from the troll finally, after an hour of wide-eyed staring, lulled her into sleep.

She awoke abruptly in the morning to the movement of the troll. He'd woken up before her, although how he'd moved without waking her the first time, she wasn't sure. He was packing up both his bag and hers, and had pulled out a cloak. It was his tossing the cloak on her that had awakened her, and she struggled to sit up with her hands bound. The fire was extinguished and covered with dirt, the food packed away, and the troll was pushing her off the bedding as he packed it. He was dressed in his armor again, and when he finished, he looked down at her. Studying her for a moment, he whistled, and a larger raptor than the red one appeared nearby. She stared in awe at this raptor, for it was blue and green, and armored., with saddle and reins.

"ya be walkin' to da post, girlie. My mount can walk slow enough that ya shouldn't get dragged along too badly," he said before kneeling down and helping her standing. Using the cut rope from the tree, he tied her hands to the saddle of the raptor, so she couldn't try fleeing. Taking the blankets from her and packing them away, he used the cloak and tied it around her. It would cover most of her until they reached the post, and if she needed clothes after that, the orcs and tauren could take care of it.

Attaching the bags to his mount, he climbed on and whistled for his pet. The red raptor came over to him, and he leaned down to pat its head before sending it off. It would hunt in the area for its meal, but stay close enough to come when called for. Signaling for his mount to start walking, he tugged on the robe and Lena began walking beside him. The trees were old and big enough to not be too close together, and so she didn't have to worry about getting scratched too badly as they walked. Still, she'd have preferred better covering or a ride on the raptor to this, half naked walking.

They headed towards the post in silence, for anything Lena tried asking was ignored by the troll, who was alert. Not that many things out here were a threat to him, but it was a habit from his own adventures throughout the world.. Finally reaching the road and seeing the post in the distance, he turned to Lena. "Ya should be safe, girlie. I really dun t'ink ya be a threat. Da tauren are peaceful enough, dey'll prob'y let ya go safe, so ya can stop worryin'," he told her. She looked up at him, but he wasn't facing her, waving a hand out to the guards that were looking their direction. "Yo, mon! I gota prisoner for ya!" he called out to them. Lena shrank back as one of the guards walked over to them, a savage looking orc.

"Where'd you find her?" the guard asked, and Lena turned to face the raptor-mount, hiding from him. It wasn't that she was afraid of orcs, or even hated them. Her father had fought in the Third war, and had told her that the orcs had allied with the humans against the demons, and that Jaina Proudmoore herself was allies with Thrall, even if it was an uneasy alliance due to old hatreds. She didn't loath them, but she was still frightened, and still naked.

"She was in da river south o' here. I t'ink she was lost, but I brought her anyways," Jang'Ai told him. The guard nodded, and reached for the rope. Suddenly panicking, Lena reached her bound hands up to clutch at Jang'Ai's leg.

"Lena Morgan. My name, is Lena Morgan. Please... remember it?" she begged, her eyes wide and pleading. He frowned and looked down at her.

"Why, girlie? Why ya want me ta be knowin' ya name?" he asked. She gave a lopsided little smile.

"It's a human thing, I guess. We live such short lives, so our immortality comes from the legacy we leave behind. ...In case something does happen, I at least want someone to know my name, even if... it's just a troll who found me in a river," she said sheepishly. He was silent a moment, looking down at her, then he nodded.

"Alright... Lena. And I be Jang'Ai, should we ever cross paths again, little one. But I t'ink you'll be safe," he said as he handed her bag to the guard, then sent the raptor forward towards the flight master. He had other tasks to do today, and was sure the name of a frightened young human girl, Lena Morgan, would be swept away with time.

Lena watched Jang'Ai leave, and the guard escorted her towards the post. She saw orcs and tauren, some trolls and even a goblin, working in the small area. She didn't understand what was said as her escort handed her over to one of the tauren, but she doubted it mattered. What would matter was what was asked of her, and she hoped she would be allowed to continue living. And, oddly enough, she hoped to see Jang'Ai again someday.

Nareeka Wolfsong walked along the road heading east, towards Raynewood Retreat, feeling worry gnaw at her. She'd received a letter from little Lena, saying the young human girl was heading to Astranaar, days ago, and had gone to meet her. The innkeeper had said she'd seen the dark-haired human girl, but that she'd gone out exploring the forest against her warnings. Nareeka had been worried then, but had allowed the girl a few days to explore for herself. After all, she knew just how curious the human could be, and she had felt that other sentinels would watch after her, as they watched over the entire forest. But it had been several days now, and no sign of her young friend.

She had head out, first checking in at Silverwind Refuge, where she had recently been stationed to help guard the denizens, but none of her fellow elves had seen the human. They promised to keep an eye out and send out a searching party, and she had once again gone to the road. She now would search Raynewood Retreat, and gain the aid of the druids and dryads there, if necessary.

She stopped as her long ears heard movement ahead of her. Unsheathing her sword, she stalked forward, preparing for battle. It could be merely an animal on the road, or one of the twisted furblogs, but her instinct told her it was one of the Horde, and that could very well mean a spy or someone from the Lumber Camp. If it was, she'd take great pleasure in riding the world of one more threat to her beloved Ashenvale.

Further along the road, she saw a form lying upon the stones and two figures riding off, mounted on wolves. Racing forward, she knelt and saw the thick black hair of her human friend. "Lena?" she asked, searching for a sign of life. The girl opened her pale blue eyes, and after a moment of surprise, reached up to embrace her friend. Nareeka wrapped an arm around the human, and looked down the road after the orcs. She couldn't both give chase, and see that her friend was taken to safety. She'd allow them life today, for there would always be time, and she doubted that she could keep up with the wolves they road.

"Oh, Nareeka, it's so good to see you!" Lena said as she pulled herself up. The Night Elf set down her sword and began checking over the human, searching for wounds or sign that the orcs had attacked her. There were none. She sat back, and looked at the girl.

"What happened to you, Lena?" she asked, her silver eyes gazing steadily at the girl. Lena fidgeted.

"I got too close to the Horde post, I guess. They captured me, questioned me... a tauren female did, anyways. She was awfully nice, for a Horde. And... I guess they decided I wasn't a threat? They gave me a drink, I passed out, and I woke up... here," she said, looking around. Still in Ashenvale, but on the road this time. Nareeka frowned. She wasn't surprised to hear of a friendly tauren, as they were mostly peaceful, but she was surprised that they hadn't killed Lena,.

"I see. Why did you not wait for me, Lena?" she asked. Lena smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I got curious about the forest, and wanted to see a moonwell. The sentinels said it would be a day or two before you arrived, so... I decided to go out and explore by myself. I got lost..." she said, looking down. Nareeka shook her head and allowed herself a smile. It wasn't unusual, actually, for the human girl to get curious, wander off, and then find herself lost; her mind was always elsewhere, going over her magic. Not that Nareeka approved of the arcane magic the girl wielded, but she liked the girl too much to object.

"Come, Lena. I'll take you back to Astranaar. And you wanted to go see Darnassus as well, did you not?" she asked. Lena's face lit up, and she nodded. Nareeka helped the girl stand and shouldered the bag that lay nearby. "You will love the City, it is quite beautiful. More so than your human town, in Dustwallow Marsh," she said as they walked down the road.. The two had met in Theramore, when Nareeka had been asked to deliver a package to the humans from one of her superiors in Darnassus. She had met the girl, three years ago, as she wandered into the marsh and got lost. They had befriended each other when Nareeka had escorted the girl back to the town, and had been enchanted with her enthusiasm. Even the constant questions about her homeland hadn't bothered her, and she had stayed longer in the town than intended, telling her stories.

It had surprised Nareeka when, in one of their frequent letters to each other, the girl had decided to come to the Night Elf lands and see her homeland for herself. She still considered Lena that young girl, just on the verge of adolescence, not the young woman she saw before her. Still, the girl was much younger than her and still just a child by Night Elf standards. She didn't think Lena was ready for adventuring out into the world, but apparently her parents had thought otherwise, and there was little Nareeka could do except to protect her, and keep her safe. Until Lena decided to leave and head home, Nareeka intended to stay by her side, guarding her young friend.


	2. Rain and War

A/N: It's difficult to describe a battleground, especially when you can't have an ultimate winner or loser of it, permanently defeating the enemy. It's also, actually, odd to describe the various spells and abilities available to our characters without listing spell names and fighting abilities. Still, I try my best, and I try hard to type out the troll dialogue properly, too. Interesting to do it, really, but at least it's there.

As always, I hope you find the story entertaining and worth reading, and I thank those that do read it. Read... Review... Enjoy.

**The Bonds We Make**

_Rain and War: Va'zaron and Maranti, Garek and Lucax._

A steady fall of rain hit the wooden roof of the inn, and the innkeeper had placed several pans to catch the water in the places where the broken building leaked. One area, where an entire corner as missing, was covered with some sort of cloth for the moment, to keep the water out. Orcs, Tauren, and trolls milled about the inn, some adventurers waiting for the rain to let up, others merchants looking for buyers.

A red-haired troll sat on one of the half-log benches of the inn, staring at the door. Were it not raining so steadily, he would be outside waiting at the wind riders, watching the sky for his friend. She was supposed to arrive today, however, with the rain he doubt she'd come on time. Few creatures liked to fly in such weather. With a sigh, he turned to the orc near him, searching through her wares for a meal.

Lightning flashed, and someone in the corner jumped. The troll grinned, amused, then turned as someone stood in the doorway. A removal of the hooded cloak revealed a Forsaken, rather than the female troll he was expecting. He eyed the undead warily, noting the twin daggers and the leather armor. A rogue, and he made sure to keep an eye on him, keeping a distance between his pockets and the rogues hands as the man shook himself off and sat at the bench.

After several minutes passed, the rogue turned to gaze at him, sneering. "You want something, troll?" he asked. The troll shook his head. "Then stop looking at me, or I'll cut open your stomach and eat your entrails," he said.w

"Ya could try, rogue," the troll said. The rogue rose to his feet, only to find them encased in ice. Looking down, then at the troll, he smirked.

"Mage," he stated. The troll merely stared at him, preparing a spell should the rogue attack. They stared at each other, glowing yellow orbs meeting red-brown eyes. The rogue sat down again, and snorted. "Not worth the time." The troll canceled his spell, and looked again at the doorway. Still no sign of her, and the sky was getting darker. Night was falling, and he doubted she would arrive today. Standing, he headed for the second story to sleep for the night.

The rogue watched the troll leave, then got up to go stand at the doorway, staring out into the rain. At one time his people, when he'd lived, had held orcs captive here. Now those same orcs controlled the camp, calling it Hammerfall. He sneered at the place, and at the orcs nearby. To think that he was now allies with these beasts.

He turned his head as he saw a dark figure move towards him, pale yellow eyes peering out from a hood. He waited until his ally was near before holding out a hand. The hooded Forsaken grasped his hand, and the two stared at each other. "Ready for battle?" he asked his companion. A slow nod from beneath the hood.

"Yes, Garek. In the morning, a group of others are prepared to fight in the Basin, to aid the Defilers," he said. The rogue nodded.

"Good. And what of the humans? How strong are their forces?"

"Strong individually, weak as a whole. Typical battle, likely to be chaotic. The fools think only of their own glory."

"Ha ha, yes. That is one good thing about this allegiance with the Horde, they work together more often than the Alliance. Good, so we'll gain the resources and wipe out a few people along the way. I do love a good bloodbath," the rogue said, laughing.

"As do I, my friend. As do I. But I prefer to twist their bodies with pain... you do the actual bloodletting," the man said.

"Oh, ha ha, yes. We work well with the shadows, you and I. Tomorrow shall be a morbidly wonderful day. Come, let us rest, Lucax. Not that we sleep in these forms..." the rogue said, a scowl crossing his face.

"Better to save our energy, though. Rest does that, at least," Lucax said as he entered the inn.

Flying in the rain was a horrible, miserable experience, Maranti thought as she clung desperately to the bat she rode. It had been merely cloudy when she left the Undercity. And then, it had begun raining, and the bat seemed to lose track of it's path. A constant, pelting downpour fell upon them, and Maranti's cloak would not stay over her as the wind blew it back. She was glad the bat had a superior way of 'seeing' it's surroundings, although how precisely she wasn't sure. She, at least, could see nothing beyond the dark sky and the rain.

She had planned to meet Va'zaron earlier in the day, and now she would be late. While she knew he was a patient troll, she still felt regretful about the delay. He could have been out adventuring, and knowing him, had stayed at the inn to await her arrival. Hours of boredom, and all because of the rain. She despised it, and yet wished some would fall in her home of Durotar, to wet the thirsty ground. It never did, but over here in the Eastern Kingdoms, it seemed to fall quite often. Especially when she was traveling, curse it.

The bat began its descension, and she hoped they were reaching Hammerfall. Given the weather, though, she'd settle for any Horde-controlled town, though since she knew not where she was anymore, she didn't know what the nearest one was. Revantusk Village, with her troll kind? Or Tarren Mill, surrounded by those eerie Forsaken?

Landing on it's perch, an orc female came out from her covering to help Maranti down from the creature so that it could go hang out of the rain. Looking around, she saw the camp, repairs and damaged buildings everywhere. Yes, Hammerfall, good. The right place. Turning to the orc, she asked if her companion had arrived. A shrug, and the orc went to hide out of the downpour.

Heading towards the inn, Maranti stopped as she heard two Forsaken speaking. They mentioned a battle tomorrow, one of the many, constant fights in these lands, before entering the inn. Following after them and shaking off her soaked cloak, she mused over what they'd said. If a battle was in the works for tomorrow, then perhaps she and Va'zaron could join. They had come out here to help their allies with their troubles here in the Arathi Highlands, and fighting the humans was certainly a problemw.

She sat at a table, and the innkeeper brought her a plate of hot food, and a mug of ale. Grateful, she dug in heartily. She was sure Va'zaron would be interested, as they both loved to fight, and disliked the humans anyways. Tomorrow would be a good day, if the weather let up. If not, there were plenty of other services a good soldier of the Horde could do.

Finishing her meal, she left some coins for the innkeeper and went up to the second story. She would rest, and tell Va'zaron about her plans in the morning, once she was dry and rested. Perhaps they may even join with the two Forsaken, much as she distrusted them, in the battle. As long as they won, she would be a content troll.

Early the next morning, Va'zaron awoke to see many purple braids hovering over his face, framing a pretty, yet haughty, female troll. He blinked and pulled away slightly. "Mornin', Maranti," he yawned. She grinned.

"Mornin', Va'zaron. Sleep well?" she asked. He nodded; the hammock had been comfortable enough, given it was an inn bed. "I know wat we can do today," she said. He looked at her. "Der be a battle planned today, in the Basin. I heard two Forsaken talkin' 'bout it. Wanna join?" she asked. He thought it over; fight members of the Alliance to help his allies, or fight animals and monsters.

"Ya, I be joinin'. Sounds like fun, eh?" he said. She grinned, and tossed his bag at him.

"T'ought so. Get dressed, and I go find a Defiler to let 'em know we be joinin' in da battle," she said as she left the room. He lay there long enough to admire her backside, then stretched and donned his robes. His staff was nearby, leaning against the wall, and his wand was comfortably tucked inside the pocket of the robe. Pulling on his gloves and boots, and cinching the belt around his waist, he stood, grabbed his staff, and headed downstairs.

He froze as he saw the rogue from last night talking to Maranti, another cloaked and hooded Forsaken lurking in the shadows. Damn, he should have known they'd be here for the battle as well. He approached slowly, sitting at a bench next to an eating orc, and began going through his bag. A few potions, a scroll, but his supply of food and water were low. He'd need to make more, for both him and Maranti. His runes were dangerously low as well; he'd need to buy more.

Maranti wasn't exactly fond of the rogue she spoke to; he was rude and short with her, but he agreed to their joining him and the others. She'd also noticed his glare as Va'zaron had joined them in the room. Still, he was an ally, and like or dislike, she would have to work with him. She just wished that the Forsaken didn't have to be so contentious sometimes. Not that all were, but lately she'd been ill-fated to find a decent one.

The rogue motioned to the Forsaken behind him. "Go let the others know a priest and mage will be helping us, Lucax," he said. The warlock nodded, and left the room. Sneering at the troll female, he looked her over. "Make sure you're ready for this, priestess. I won't tolerate weak or ill-prepared fighters in this battle; the Defiler's need the resources too badly," he said. She looked offended, but before she could protest, he turned and left the room.

"Dat's watcha get for workin' with da Forsaken, Maranti," Va'zaron said behind her. She snorted and turned to see him conjuring several flasks of water and loaves of bread.

"I know dat, Va'zaron. Some are alright, but such like him are notin' but trouble," she said as she too searched through her bags. Same as him; potions and scrolls, as she'd been prepared to hunt today.

"Heal! I need a heal!" came a cry to her left. Maranti stopped the shadowy spell she'd been about to cast, and turned the energy into a healing one for the warrior. It hit him a second before death, and the green-skinned fighter pushed back his attacker. A blast of ice shot past her, and she followed it to see a cat fall back from it's attack on her. A hunter stood further behind it, a tall, purple-skinned elf pulling the bowstring back, an arrow prepared. She cast a word of pain at it, and psychically screamed at the cat, sending it and a stealthed rogue fleeing. She grinned at seeing the rogue, but sent her divine and shadow magics at the hunter while Va'zaron, now next to her, did the same.

By the time the rogue returned to them, the hunter was dead upon the ground. The rogue, short, childlike in appearance, suddenly winced as an agonizing curse hit him. Va'zaron spared a glance at the warlock several yards away before sending out an cone-like blast of magic and ice at the rogue. Together, the three casters took down the rogue and a priest attempting to heal the orc's newest prey. Finished, they turned to gaze down at where a battle ensued around a blacksmith building. The orc raced down the hill to aid them, whereas Maranti, Va'zaron, and Lucax stayed where they were, protecting the lumber mill. Garek crept towards them from the other side, muttering about oncoming attackers.

They turned in time to face the druid, the blue-skinned, hooved and horned shaman, and a warrior. Spells flew from both sides, and the druid was met with a succubus from the warlock. He tried to get past the demon to crush the dark caster, but found himself slowed horribly by a frost spell. The warrior, attempting to crush the priest, went fleeing from a fear spell, before being turned into a sheep. The shaman hesitated a moment too long, suddenly afraid of the three casters she saw, and her uncertainty caused her to not notice Garek sneaking behind her. He quickly disposed of her with his swift, merciless slashes and stabs, while her health slowly drained away from their spells.

Soon, the attackers were all dead, and the four Horde defenders again looked down at the blacksmith. They had captured it and it's resources, and savage cheers from the mine showed they had won that, too. The rogue came to stand next to Maranti, a sadistic grin across his rotting face.

"More Alliance dead. Good. We'll win this, and hold these points for several days now. Hopefully weeks," he commented. She nodded, and Va'zaron spoke up.

"Dey'll keep attackin, dough, won't dey?" Lucax nodded, keeping a paranoid lookout for more attackers.

"Of course; they always do. Either we'll win today's battle and hold the food and trade goods for several days... Or we'll reach another standstill, and retreat until more forces are gathered," he said.

"Dis happens often, den? No winner stayin on top?" Maranti asked, frowning. Garek shook his head.

"No, too many other fighters coming to join the battle, sometimes for us, sometimes for them. We can't keep anything for longer than a few weeks, but we work hard to keep it and get what we can from what we get," he said. Before she could question him further, Lucax shouted out a warning and Va'zaron sent out a wave of arcane magic, revealing a human rogue near them. With a battle cry, she turned to attack not body but mind as they returned to defending their hill. They _would_ win the Arathi Basin for today.

"For da Horde!" the trolls yelled out as they raised a toast with the other members of the Horde. Around them, several orc, Tauren, trolls, and even some elves and Forsaken, were holding up mugs of ale, and several people were drunk already. Their cheer was answered by more "For The Horde!" from the others. Maranti hung onto Va'zaron's arm as she downed her alcohol, before loudly asking for more.

Several people were retelling their battles in the Arathi Basin, how one member of the Alliance had gone down screaming, or how this one got several bad cuts, but he'd triumphed over his enemies. Many were bandaged from their efforts, and Maranti and Va'zaron were no different. But they had won.

Lucax and Garek sat in their own corner, glaring distastefully at their companions. "Fools, as if this victory means the battles won..." Garek muttered. Lucax nodded behind his customary hood.

"It's not nearly over; we merely pushed them back for now. They'll be back, and with larger numbers. Most of these idiots will have gone off by then, thinking their work done."

"Still, I think we set the League of Arathor quite well today... the more we separate them from their allies in the south, those filthy dwarves, the better. Do we have enough workers to get what we need from the land?" he asked. Lucax again nodded.

"The farmers have begun working hard, and the miners as well," he said. They sat in silence before he spoke up again. "Those two trolls today, they did well," he stated. Garek scowled, but nodded.

"For such a savage race, yes they did. They make good..." he paused, the grinned. "'Allies', suitable for sending in to help sow chaos. Perhaps while the Alliance are recuperating, we can head down to the port town of Menethil Harbor, cause some destruction and damage against them there," he said. Lucax slowly grinned.

"Sounds perfect."

"Va'zaron, ya did good today!" Maranti stated proudly to her companion. He grinned at her as they both down yet another mug, joining their allies in a quickly approaching state of drunken celebration.

"Ya, I did. An' so did you, Mar'. We fought good, and not too bad of a scratch on eitha of us, eh?" he said with a grin. She beamed.

"I be good at healin', Va'zaron," she replied.

"Which be good, Mar', ya be much too pretty ta get all cut up," he said before leaning forward to kiss her. Pleasantly surprised, she laughed before returning the kiss. She could taste the alcohol on him, and enjoyed it.

Breaking away, they continued drinking and cheering each other on before they kissed again, and made their way upstairs to celebrate in other ways.


	3. Temper, Alcohol, and Jealousy

A/N: Whereas the first two stories were created from my imagination, the characters appearing in this chapter are not; one is my main on the Turalyon server (the mage), and the other three are _roughly_ based on friends, although their names have been changed (a druid named Urmomsahorde/Kittypwn – he was forced to change his name over a complaint – would not do well in this world, I'm afraid.) Some of the dialogue is based on the general interactions between my friends and I, some is created based on the specific personalities given to the characters.

The resurrection and 'questionably gay' jokes are ones between my friends as well, and I enjoyed them enough to incorporate them into the story. For the record, I've nothing against gays, but the two BE Males are not, I'm afraid. Neither is the Tauren; it's based on the frequent jokes the males in my guild make, poking fun at the questionable sexualities of the BE Males in game. And, yes, I as well as my character are flirty with our friends.

To those curious: Yes, I do largely play Horde, however, I have nothing against the Alliance; I've played both sides (Although admittedly I play Horde more often, because I fell in love with playing my mage). The story is merely Horde-driven at the moment, however, in the next couple of stories we'll be seeing things from an Alliance point of view. I tried keeping a general balance, and have a roughly equal amount of Horde and Alliance, of male to female, of varying races and classes.

Anyways... As always, I am grateful and appreciative of your time reading, and of reviews. Read... Review... Enjoy...

**The Bonds We Make**

_Tempers and Alcohol: Eshne and Baernor, Felvor and Taolin_

The young woman stared at the anthropomorphic creatures around her in distaste. Creatures resembling the cattle she was used to eating walked around her, and she was supposed to think of them as allies, as equals. Well, they certainly were stronger than her, but she saw their distrust of her and her magic. Of her addiction to it, and the corruption that had come over her race, changing their eyes to the glowing, fel green color. Their distrust made her distant and disdainful towards them; while normally she had no issues with befriending and allying herself with others, when they judged her like this she was instantly turned away from them.

Turning away from them, she wandered around the mesa their large city stood atop. How they had gotten up here in the first place, with their hooves and large builds, she didn't know. It astounded and intrigued her that they had managed to not only get up here, but build such a massive city in the few short years since their joining with the Horde. Such wonders, and she unable to find out how, not with their mistrust. They enjoyed the company of the orcs and trolls, barbaric and savage though they often were, but not of her. She heard what the other Horde said about her kind; cruel, arrogant, addicted. Fools, all of them.

She approached the bankers, and was preparing to store more items with them when someone tapped her shoulder. Turning, she stared up at a massive male tauren. He was looking at her, his expression open and friendly, so different from the others. "Yes?" she asked, her voice carrying the magniloquent undertone her race often had.

"You're a mage, aren't you?" he asked, a deep rumbling sound. She smirked, and raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down.

"Let me guess. You want a portal somewhere, right?" At his nod, she crossed her arms and stood back, staring at him arrogantly. "Look, darling, I don't give out portals to random people that come along, and I'm busy. So go away," she said snidely. He looked taken aback for a moment, then moved closer, and she felt suddenly dwarfed.

"A simple yes or no would have been fine, _darling_. You needn't be so nasty about it, especially when I would have paid you for the service," he replied. She scowled at him.

"If you people weren't always expecting it to come so easily, then I might not be so snappish to every one of you that comes along, dear," she said, then turned away. A giant, furry hand gripped her arm, strong and yet surprisingly gentle, and turned her back around.

"I said I would pay, and I was just asking for a service. Now calm your skinny ass down, and stop being like that to me. I haven't done anything to you," he lectured, and she looked at him, startled. Most Tauren were peaceful, gentle, not like this. She'd almost think him human or Blood Elf, maybe even a troll, with his tone and words.

"...And how much time did you spend in Undercity or the Drag?" she asked, incredulous. He grinned.

"More than I should have. Rest of Orgrimmar too, don't think the orcs won't be confrontational if you act like that to them. Now, are you calm?" he asked. She slowly nodded, still staring at him in fascination. "Good. May I _please_ have a portal? I'll pay you at least a gold, and then be out of your pretty hair," he said. She blinked, then smiled.

"Aw, I think I may not hate your kind so much after all, now. Where did you want to go?" she asked.

"Undercity," he said. She nodded and began concentrating on the spell. After several moments had passed, a window opened in the air near them.

"There, one portal to the Undercity," she said. He handed her a gold piece, and was nearing the portal when she asked, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Baernor. Yours?" he asked. She grinned.

"Eshne," she replied as he stepped through the portal and was sent to the Undercity. She waited several seconds before, deciding she had little else to do, she stepped through as well.

As she arrived in the city of the Forsaken, she looked around to see the Tauren shift into a cat and take off. Surprised, she used her magic to teleport several feet ahead to where he was running. "Baernor!" she called out, and he halted to look at her.

"Yes?" he asked as he shifted back to his normal massive form.

"Why would you need to be here?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow.

"To fly down to the Badlands and help down there," he told her. She nodded slowly, then grinned.

"Mind the aid of a mage?" she asked. He smiled.

"Long as you watch your temper, then sure. Let's go," he said as he shifted back to his cat form and ran towards the bat handler. She followed after, marveling that she had found a Tauren who didn't view her with distrust, and who treated her as a friend.

Now there was a word she hadn't used in awhile, especially since beginning her travels. Friend, the last she had had was dead, killed in the attack on her city by Arthas and the Scourge. Poor Arylis had been destroyed in the destruction, and Eshne remembered Narayan's, Arylis' brother, grief Afterwards. the yelling and the charging after an undead. She'd been forced to use a spell to subdue him and pull him back. They had hidden, watching in terror. The weeks after that he had mourned, wasting away both from the magic craving that had fallen again upon them, and his grief over Arylis' death.

She shook herself from thoughts of the path as she paid for a trip down to the Badlands, and was mounted upon a bat. Narayan had become a rogue after that, training hard, and she had focused on her studies. Then the alliance with the Horde, and she had traveled to each city, exploring and gaining power as she went. And seeing the prejudice against her addicted, cursed race. So different that one of them would look upon her with compassion, and not be pushed away by her temper. That one, that druid ahead of her on another bat – she hoped the poor creature wasn't hurting too badly to carry the Tauren – would become a friend.

The two oddly paired Blood Elf males pushed their way through the trees of Feralas, both marveling at the magnificent greenery around them, and cursing that they'd become lost.

"I told you, Camp Mojache is south, and towards the east," one of them said, stopping to lean against a tree. An attractive female, winged, horned, and hooved, stopped next to him, glancing around for a victim to use her whip on.

"And I told _you_ that we aren't looking for the Camp, not yet. I want to explore where the ruinsh are," the other said, stopping to look back at his warlock friend. A shield was strapped to his back, and a sword glinted at his side.

"There are _ogres_ that way, Felvor. Why would you want to go somewhere invested with ogres?" the warlock asked.

"Becaushe, Taolin, I'm curioush. We might find some treashure down there. Or at least I'll get the chance to crush some creaturesh," he replied with a savage grin. Taolin rolled his eyes.

"Then could we have at least stayed on the road?"

"No, there wash an iron mine. If you forgot which way the road wash after that, well, that'sh your fault. Beshidesh, we're two shtrong elvesh, we can shurvive in the wildernesh...sh," Felvor said. Taolin shook his head and sighed.

"Whatever you say, Felvor. Lead on, and prepare to be my shield if we meet any more monsters," he said.

They continued on, Taolin mourning the tears in his robes, Felvor storming his way past the trees without heed to the scratches on his plate armor. The two friends had traveled south into Feralas after having explored the dreary land of Desolace, and while they both appreciated the change in climate, Taolin wished that they could at least stay on a civilized road, and reach a town. Felvor was too drunk at the moment to care, it seemed. Taolin really needed to remember to limit the alcohol consumption of his friend.

They ran into furred beasts, yeti Taolin believed they were, and gorillas. They skirted past hippogryphs, feral and fierce in all their glory. In the distance, they saw the ogres, and around them, the ruins. Taolin had to admit, he was rather interested in the area, as any treasure of elven make was fascinating. He was sure Felvor merely wanted to see, and to kill ogres.

Unfortunately, the ogres had other ideas. Two tried smashing them, with Felvor ducking behind his shield and unsheathing his sword to do battle, and an ogre magi sent a firebolt at Taolin. Amused, he watched as his succubus darted forward to seduce and subdue the ogre, and he turned to aid the paladin by sending curses at the ogres. Unfortunately, he overdid it and one came over to him, smashing down on his frail and poorly armored body. He winced at the pain, and tried to cast a spell to send it fleeing in fear, but the ogre sent him flying into the air, interrupting him. Standing painfully, he again tried casting a spell or curse, calling back his minion to help, but again, he was attacked. This one knocked him to the ground, and the ogre stomped its massive foot down on Taolin's chest, crushing his ribcage and lungs.

Dying, he watched his minion vanish, and Felvor suddenly swarmed by the remaining ogres as he killed his target. Frantically trying to call the Light, even if it was stolen and gained through evil acts, to shield him, he stood protected by a bubble. Casting a spell to heal himself, he grinned as the ogres attacked unsuccessfully. Fully healed, he began again attacking the ogres, his heavy armor saving him from the beating. Killing first the warrior ogre, he moved on to attack the magi, and finally killed him.

Felvor looked to his friend, who's spirit hovered over the crushed body. "Don' worry, Taolin. I can bring ya back," he said as he sat down and pulled out something to drink.

"...Is that more beer, Felvor?" came Taolin's deathly, eerie whisper. Felvor grinned.

"Maybe," he replied. He could almost see, so used to Taolin's mannerisms, the sigh and the holding his face in his hands.

"Just make sure you actually resurrect me. Curse the stored soul expiring," Taolin whispered. He could feel the tugging at his soul as it tried to go to the Twisting Nether, but force of will kept him there. He'd used a spell to bring him back should he die, but the long wanderings in the jungle had worn it down, and he had forgotten to recast it.

"Yeah, yeah..." Felvor said as he stood, stumbling, and began to use his magic, to bring life back into the body and sending Taolin's soul back into it. Finishing the spell, he stood back to await the warlock's reawakening, when one of the ogres clumsily stood up. Eyes wide, he re-equipped his sword and shield, an "oopsh" escaping from his lips. He heard the warlocks cursing as he began battle.

"You stupid inebriated paladin! How could you resurrect an ogre instead of me? How do you make that kind of mistake, you misbegotten fool?!" Taolin scream-whispered at him, watching as his companion dispatched of the ogre and turned back to him.

"Shorry? Won't happen again," Felvor said. He sat to drink some more, having used more mana than intended in his drunken state. Standing, he began to perform the spell, beer mug still in his hand. This time, he correctly brought back the right person. He began a healing spell as Taolin winced from his crushed ribs and battered body.

"...What's the name of that spell again, Felvor?" Taolin asked, scowling at his friend.

"Redemption."

"And yet you cast such a spell while drunk and holding a beer mug... You drunken disgrace to our race... I cannot _believe_ you did that."

"Yep, that'sh me, the drunken paly. And, hey, I shaid was shorry, Ta'lin," he slurred. The warlock looked at him with loathing as he straightened his robes and summoned his succubus. The moment the demoness appeared, she latched onto her master.

"Oh, master! You're alive! I thought you were gone," she said. He pat her head, used to her affection. He only disliked it when she acted jealously towards other females, which was why he never had her with him in towns. She turned to hiss at Felvor. "That filthy mortal almost made you destroyed forever, and I would have been so upset! Can I rip him apart, Master?"

"Entertaining as that is, Salthia, I think not," Taolin told her with an amused look. She pouted.

"She could try, Ta'lin. Bet I could show her who'sh bossh," Felvor said. Taolin raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm her master, thus her boss, Fel. I won't have you and my minion fighting; I reserve the right to kill you for myself. Now, can we go to the camp?" he asked. Felvor nodded, and they began walking.

"You won't kill me, Taolin. Ya love me too much," he said before slinging an arm over Taolin's shoulders. Taolin scowled, and rolled his eyes. He didn't, however, push his friend away, estimating that such would cause the fool to fall over, and they really needed to get to civilization.

"For one, I may very well kill you some day out of annoyance. For another, don't _say_ it like that; it sounds wrong. If others were around, they would think... inaccurately. We have too much history and friendship for me to do anything to you, yes, but that only applies when you're sober. When drunk, well... You really will get yourself, or the both of us, permanently killed someday," he said. Felvor grinned.

"Yep, and I bet you'll be cursing me to the Twisting Nether the entire time," he said. Taolin laughed and shook his head as the two continued walking.

Arriving, hours later, at Camp Mojache, both males stopped in awe at the female blood elf that stood in the road, talking to a Tauren. Neither had seen a female of their kind in weeks, so busy with their journey, and it was an appealing sight to finally see one. Felvor appreciated her raven-haired beauty, and Taolin the magic radiating from her. A fellow caster, he was sure, although the lack of deep fel magic – aside from whatever she may have tapped into to feed her addiction – suggested mage or priestess.

She turned her eyes towards them, and smirked. "Like what you see, boys?" she called out before wrapping her arms around the Tauren. Taolin raised an eyebrow, and Felvor laughed before walking forward.

"I might. You didn't look the type to like beshtiality, though," he teased. The Tauren, who had been talking to one of his kind, turned to look at him, and laughed.

"Oh, but she's into all sorts of things. Maybe later the four of us...? I know you two look very fine," he said. Taolin blanched, before noticing the mischievous gleam in the Tauren's eyes, and the high laughter of the female. Felvor laughed again as well.

"Now I may be intereshted in you, big guy. How about you ditch the girl and come with me?" he teased. Taolin snickered, knowing Felvor was drunk and willing to flirt with anything on two legs. Not that he'd make such an offer sober; both males were strictly into females. Still, it was a fun, recurring joke Felvor made, especially with many allies thinking rather oddly about the males of their race.

"Stoppit! I might take you up on that!" the Tauren joked. Both Felvor and Taolin were surprised at the Tauren's joking, almost vulgar manner, but they enjoyed it as well, as it instantly developed an easy-going manner between them.

"Ok, guys! That's enough!" the female said as she doubled over with laughter. "Before you kill me with all this, really. Or turn me on, whichever comes first," she said with a wink. Turning to the Tauren, she tugged on his brown fur. "Baernor, are we going to go kill gnolls, or what?" she asked. He looked down at her, then over at the two Blood Elf males.

"Why don't we see if they want to come along with us, Esh? We can group up... after they repair and rest," he said, noting their worn armor and weary forms.

Felvor nodded, "Hey, that'd be fun! Give ush a couple hours, and we'll be ready to go!" he said.

"Yes, but allow Fel to sober up first, please," Taolin pleaded. He did not want another episode of death any time soon. He dealt it to others, and disliked feeling it himself.

"Sounds like a plan," Eshne said. She stepped away from Baernor and approached Taolin, smirking. "I'm Eshne, by the way, and that's Baernor. One druid and one mage, at your service," she informed him. Looking him over slyly, she flashed him a flirtatious smile. "make sure you rest though... I plan on wearing you guys down later," she said with a wink, Taolin laughed, unsure of whether she was serious, or joking.

"Yes, we'll rest. Ah, and I am Taolin. My tipsy friend over there is Felvor," he said. Looking at his succubus, who was glaring hatefully at Eshne, he nodded to her. "And this is Salthia." Eshne nodded at them, then grabbed Taolin's sleeve.

"Oh, my, hon, your robes are so torn up... I'm a tailor, I can fix these if you want," she said. He glanced down at the tears on his robes, and nodded before stripping them off. Her eyes widened at the lean elf as he handed her the robe, still wearing plain black pants beneath. Decently built for a fellow caster, she thought, if not as toned or buffed as a rogue or warrior. Nice, all the same.

"I'll go rest and get some stuff from the vendors. Thanks so very much for the he-" Taolin was cut off as his succubus shot past him to attack Eshne, who's eyes again widened, this time in fearful surprise as she backed up. "No, Salthia, stop!" he ordered, and she refused to obey. Roots suddenly shot up out of the ground to entangle the crazed demon who glared hatefully at Eshne. At the same time, a blast of fire hit her, and Eshne's eyes glowed slightly as she wielded her magic, more fire forming around her hands.

"Ya better control your demon, Taolin, before I kill her," Eshne warned as Baernor came closer, standing defensively next to the physically weaker person. Taolin nodded, and again tried to order Salthia back. She growled and hissed, spitting in Eshne's direction before lashing her whip at the mortal. Baernor's arm went up to catch the blow, and another blast of fire hit the succubus, this time making her stand down.

"Salthia, no more," Taolin said as he finally managed to dismiss the errant creature. Turning to Baernor and Eshne, he bowed apologetically. "I am sorry about that... She gets rather jealous," he said. Eshne frowned and waved him off, more concerned with Baernor's bleeding arm than an apology. Deciding to leave them alone, he and Felvor walked off to rest, repair, and visit the vendors.

"Are you alright, Baernor?" Eshne asked, gingerly touching the wound. He nodded.

"I'm strong, Esh. I can handle damage like this; I am your meat shield after all, remember?" he said teasingly as he used his nature magic to heal over the wound. She gave him a lopsided grin.

"That you are, darlin'. And I'm very thankful that you are my own personal shield. Oh, and my personal teddy bear!" she said as she hugged him. He pat her head, and she looked up at him. But, with those two, making new friends, are we? You must be bored with me," she said, faking a pout. He laughed.

"We've been working together several months now, hon. Shouldn't we meet other friends as well?" he asked. She shrugged and nodded.

"I suppose. A warlock with a jealous succubus and a drunken paladin, our travels should be interesting now," she commented, going silent as she mused. He stayed around a moment longer before turning to go talk further with the people of Camp Mohache. Two new friends, and now of her race. Interesting. She grinned; her little family was growing, even if she would have to now deal with a jealous 'girlfrend.'


	4. New Journeys and Mor'Ladim

A/N: Shorter than the others, but it adding in more stuff would make it TOO long, for what is planned next. I think. I didn't want to say or do much with the tauren yet, because I wished for them to merely be introduced and to get started on their adventures, for now. They'll return. As for the NE, yes, Mor'Ladim. I'm fond of the character/mob, and mourn that he's been lowered in level. This is my own personal RIP to him, and probably one of the few WoW-character to be really dealt with in my story. (As in, my characters won't be downing Illidan or anything :P They may reunite families or something, on those few quests that touched me in one way or another, but that's it.) As for Stitches, I didn't want them to kill him, but I wanted to at least mention him; you can't do Duskwood without Mor'Ladim and Stitches.

I've also gone back and made breaks between parts, for both time changes and perspective changes. (double spacing apparently not working.)

The next story will deal with the sisters and Anana again, as well as a few others. After that, things should start picking up and storylines connecting; I have it mapped out. Haha, for staying up all night with a restless mind. Anyways, as I always say, I appreciate those that read, and I hope I entertain you, in the least. Reviews are much loved. Please, Read... Review... Enjoy...

**The Bonds We Make**

_New Journeys, and Mor'Ladim – Urslie, Ciarda, and Mokar; Senkara, Sorina, and Anana._

Eyes closed, the orc listened to the sounds around him. Hooves stepping on dirt, the Great Lift bringing people to and from the city, the sky and earth meeting in this grand mesa-city. Turning to his companion, his eyes opening, he saw the dark blue-haired troll was heading towards the Elder Rise. Moving to catch up with him, he looked around him, seeing friendly faces in that of the mighty tauren. "Jang'Ai, wait up," he called to his friend. The troll paused to look at him.

"Ya mon? We got ta be gettin' ta meet Corran, rememba?" the troll reminded him. The orc nodded; of course he remembered. He just wanted to go slower than his hunter-friend. Always on the move and ready to go, Jang'Ai rarely stopped to listen to the world around him unless he was tracking and hunting a target. The orc wished his friend would slow down, but he had learned long ago that Jang'Ai followed his own rules, and wouldn't listen to that of others.

"Who is this Corran we're meeting, Jang'Ai?" a young male tauren asked from behind them. The orc looked at him, smiling. Jang'Ai, for all his faults, often took younger fighters out to travel and train with him, even if they studied a different art from him. This tauren was no different; a warrior met in the Barrens one day, Jang'Ai had been taking him throughout the Barrens and Ashenvale, and temporarily down into Thousand Needles. He wasn't sure why Jang'Ai choose to aid others when he could very well go hunt equal prey to his strength, but Jang'Ai was a mystery, even to him. And he had grown up with the troll.

"Ask Agorim," Jang'Ai said as they crossed the rope bridge.

"Ha, ask me. Corran is an elder, a druid. He's also an old friend," the orc told the tauren, who nodded.

Reaching the Elder Rise, they saw two young female tauren locked in battle, one swinging a large ax, the other setting down her totems to slow her while she cast a spell at the first female. They paused to watch the battle as the warrior managed to hit the shaman after the lightning struck her. Pulling out a mace, the shaman tried to repel the warrior. An elderly male tauren approached, and stepped between the females.

"Enough, Urslie, Ciarda. Gaining strength, the both of you," he said. Turning to the young shaman, he smiled at her. "You can keep casting spells even when under attack, if that is your strength, and you should gain more affinity with the elemental spirits, to gain better spells and totems some day." Turning to the warrior, he embraced her. "And you, my strong Urslie, you did well..." he paused as he saw the three standing at the bridge. "Ah! Jang'Ai, Agorim! How good to see you again! And who is this strong young tauren?" he asked.

"Dis be a new friend, Corran. His name be Mokar, and he be my newest friend," Jang'Ai said as he approached the tauren. Mokar was staring in awe at the two females, especially the warrior, impressed with her strength. He knew he was stronger than her, as she was still in training, but he was still fascinated with her. She as well seemed interested, and was whispering to her shaman friend. "And is dat little Urslie? I ain't seen ya in awhile. A warrior now, ya be?" he asked.

"Yep! Still training, but I'll be a powerful warrior one day, Jang'Ai!" she exclaimed. Her friend laughed.

"And I'll be behind her keeping her healed the entire way," she said, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, and helping her fight, but I'm not exactly all that strong."

"You'll get there. It isn't about strength, young friend, it's about having faith in the elements, and working with them," Agorim told her. She looked at him curiously. "We're both shamans; perhaps I can help train you?" he offered. She nodded enthusiastically, and Corran now laughed.

"Ah, good, good! Come now, Jang'Ai, let us visit properly..." he said as he led them towards his tent.

Hours later, Morak turned towards Jang'Ai. "I want to travel with Urslie and Ciarda," he announced. Jang'Ai looked up at him.

"Okey dokey," he said. Morak blinked.

"That's it?" he asked. Jang'Ai nodded.

"You don't want to continued travelin with Jang'Ai?" Agorim asked the tauren male. He shook his head.

"I do, but Urslie and Ciarda want to travel too; they're about ready to explore the world anyways, I'll go with them. I can be of help, and Jang'Ai needs to go on his own again, right?" he asked. Jang'Ai shrugged nonchalantly. He honestly didn't care if he hunted alone or with friends, nor did he care much about whether he hunted weak or strong prey; he wanted only to continue traveling and hunting, to explore and search. For what, he wasn't sure, but he felt compelled to search for _something._

"Long as dey wanna go wit ya, and Corran don' mind, den ok," he told him. Corran nodded.

"I think it a fine idea, for the three young ones to travel and grow together," he said.

Agorim looked at Ciarda. "Will you be leaving soon, then?" he asked. She nodded and grinned sheepishly.

"We planned in the morning, if we had permission. Maybe I can get training from you later, Agorim. If that's alright with you," she asked. He smiled.

"Of course, that is fine. Whenever you are ready; good luck on your travels."

Early the next morning, the three young tauren stood waiting for the Great Lift to carry them down to the plains of Mulgore. The two warriors had begun talking about different weapons, and defense and offensive combat. Ciarda tuned them out and closed her eyes, as Agorim had done the day before. The wind, the earth, she felt them both around her, and relished the harmony of the elements.

The lift arrived, and they stood on it, Ciarda turning to look at her dark-furred companions. She grinned slightly; her fur was a paler, almost gray-white than theirs, especially the black-furred Urslie. Opposites, yet best of friends. She was glad that they would get to journey and learn of the world together, however, she did worry over the presence of Mokar. While she liked the male well enough, she saw the spark between him and Urslie.

Reaching the bottom, the three stepped off and began the long hike to the Barrens. As they passed through Bloodhoof Village, where the two girls had played in their recent childhood, Urslie turned to Ciarda, a large grin on her face. "We're going to have so much fun, Ciarda!" she exclaimed. Ciarda grinned as well; her friend was always so cheerful and enthusiastic, versus her own calmer, quieter composure. She nodded.

"Yes, we are. The whole world out there, ready for us to explore. We can help drive back the centaur... We can help our allies in their battles," she said. Mokar spoke up.

"And there's strength for you two to earn. You can learn more about your spirits, Ciarda, and Urslie, you will learn more ways to fight. I've seen some of the world, with Jang'Ai. It's... it's wonderful, and frightening. There's... a lot that's still good about it, but there's also parts where things have gone wrong," he said. The girls frowned at him.

"Like what?" they asked. He paused, scratching his head to think.

"Like... like Jang'Ai says one area run by the centaur is a wasteland. There's a forest tainted by fel magic. There's weird bugs in a desert, south of here. The world isn't all a giant wonderland... we aren't traveling on a big picnic," he told them. Urslie tilted her head.

"Yeah, we know. That's why we want to travel; we want to help fix what went wrong, even if it's just fighting off things," she said before continuing walking. Ciarda turned to Mokar, grinning.

"That's Urslie-speak for she wants to take down the centaurs, help cure that forest, and squash the bugs. And I want to help heal the land too, Mokar. I hear Corran talk about how damaged it is in some places. We didn't ask to come out here to have fun... We came looking to work and help with what we can," she said.

They continued going, passing through the lush green plains of Mulgore, and reaching the dry plains that made up the Barrens. Mokar glanced at Ciarda as she winced, seeing the land. "Did something happen here to make it like this?" she asked. Mokar shrugged as they walked.

"Not that I know of; I'm told it was like this for a long time, even the elders say so."

"Well, it's different. But different is good, Ciarda, even if the land doesn't look perfectly healthy. If everything looked the same, that'd be boring," Urslie said. They stared at creatures the two girls had never seen before as they walked, from the hyena to the raptors, before finally reaching the Crossroads.

"I'll warn you two right now... members of the Alliance like to attack here often, so I suggest watching out while you're here," Mokar told them. The two girls frowned at each other.

"But, why? I thought we were at a truce with the Alliance," they asked. He stopped and looked at them.

"Officially, there is a truce. But there are often individuals that don't care for such, that would prefer a war. You'll also find... some members of our faction attempting to undermine the truce. Just because there isn't an official war, doesn't mean there aren't battles. You can't trust everyone out there," he said, his brow furrowed as he thought of his own travels with Jang'Ai. Of the lessons he'd already begun learning, and of the attacks he'd witnessed.

He also remembered Jang'Ai's story, of why he'd been late the first time they'd made plans to travel together, and he smiled at the girls. "There are some, though, that you can trust. You just have to be cautious about it," he told them.

An hour later, after having been told by many how they could help – everything from killing animals and creatures to recovering lost items or exploring the oases – Mokar regrouped with them as they headed north. They would work on those services and bounties later; first, he wanted to show them Orgrimmar.

It was dark, gloomy, and very spooky in the graveyard, but neither girl would say to the other that they were scared. They both stalked the outskirts of the dark hill, searching for their prey. Two animals crept near them, one a black raptor, the other a white tiger. Both girls looked nearly identical, dark blue, long hair, even their faces and blue-purple skin was the similar. The only difference were the markings on their faces, surrounding their silver eyes. One held flame over her eyes and marks over her cheeks, the other had three marks over each eye extending down from her forehead. Both held bows and a quiver, and both carried swords. And both kept a wary eye on the skeletal warriors of Raven Hill.

They sought a specific undead, however. They had traveled here to assist their human allies, as well as uncover what had happened to one of their own, and while fighting in the graveyard, had discovered an odd grave. After much asking around, they had come to learn the story behind the cemetery's most famed skeleton; Mor'Ladim.

Everyone knew him. Those that had fought here had been sent scurrying away from him, or calling out for a healer to bring them back to life. Even the Night Elven sisters had fled from him when they'd arrived. After hearing his story, they pitied him and were now prepared to slay him, to both put his soul to rest and help later adventurers.

A paladin, he'd once been. He had seen the Order of the Silver Hand disbanded, but had valiantly kept going, hoping to see his family when he returned home. Only to come back to this. The older of the sisters, slightly taller and more lithe, paused to look around the forest. Cursed, she felt, this place was cursed. Then again, after that story of Velinde Starsong and the Scythe of Elune being the cause for the worgen here in Duskwood, the land was indeed cursed. No wonder the paladin had been driven mad at the loss of his family, when he had found their graves.

No excuse for the murder of three innocents, though, the younger sister felt. Grief was no reason to kill others, not when they had done nothing wrong. She pitied those souls as much as she did that of Morgan Ladimore, now in his restless undeath called Mor'Ladim.

The older sister suddenly pulled an arrow from her quiver and took aim. Releasing the arrow, she motioned for her sister to move back as the undead, powerful compared to the others in the land, stopped midstep and ran towards them, sword swinging. Both sent their pets out to meet him, and he turned his attention to them. He seemed confused, however, over which to attack; reptile or feline. Both sisters took aim and again fired, keeping their distance in case he chose them over the pets.

He did, finally growing angry at the younger sister and slashing his sword at her as he charged forward. Bow put away, she pulled out a sword and met him blow for blow while her raptor leapt at the undead. The older girl continued firing at the undead, prepared to charge in to help should her beloved sister need her. It was unnecessary, as she twisted around and sent her sword down into him, cleaving his rotting chest in two.

They stepped back as he collapsed and twitched. "We need his skull, Senkara," the older girl said. Senkara nodded and used her sword to decapitate the fearsome warrior. "You can take it to the town; I'll stay here and... look around some more," she said. Senkara looked at her.

"Are you sure, Sorina?"she asked. Sorina nodded, and with a shrug, Senkara and her raptor darted off towards Darkshire. Sorina knelt down next to Mor'Ladim's corpse. After several minutes passed, she began dragging what as left of it towards the graves. Several times she was forced to stop as skeletal warriors and healers attacked, hungry for flesh and wrathful towards the living. Each time, she twisted upright to fire off arrows at them as the ghostly white tiger dashed towards them. Finally, she brought him to the grave he'd originally been in. Hastily dug, and shallow, she used a broken shovel nearby to make it deeper, and to properly bury him.

Searching around, she found a stone to place over the grave, and a piece of chalk buried in her bag to write on the grave, in Common; Here lies Mor'Ladim, once a brave paladin, then a feared elite of Raven Hill. RIP, Mor'Ladim. Kneeling down, she bowed her head, and murmured, "Ande'thoras-ethil. May Elune be with you, Mor'Ladim." she said. She leapt to her feet as Senkara appeared behind her.

"'May your troubles be diminished', Sor? He killed innocents, and you wish him peace?" she asked. Sorina nodded.

"Grief, sister, causes one to do horrible things. I do not condone his actions; I pity what happened. ...What is that in your hand?" she asked. Senkara held out a ring.

"He has a living daughter, she asked me to... give this to him," she said. Silent for a moment, she knelt down, Sorina following, and placed the ring on the grave. "...Elune-Adore" she said, repeating the Darnassian term for what her sister had said. Both bowed their heads in silence, only to hear a ghostly whisper behind them. Whirling to their feet, swords in hand, they saw the ghost of Mor'Ladim.

"This is...? Sarah? Could it be she's still alive? The weight is removed from my shoulders... Sorina, Senkara. Take my sword, Archeus. As my soul is put to rest, I have no more need for it. It was forged to do good, and though I have proved myself unworthy to hold it, perhaps you will carry on the Light through it. Lys, my love... " he said, his voice a mere whisper in the wind as he faded away. In his placed was a two-handed sword. Senkara knelt to pick it up, examining it. Both stared in awe at both each other and the sword, before Senkara spoke.

"Do you want it, Sor?" she asked. Sorina shook her head.

"I like to dual wield, remember? You do two-handers." Then, she grinned. "Besides, maybe you'll come to understand his lesson," she said as she turned towards the road back to town. Senkara frowned, then followed after her, strapping the sword to her back. Her usual sword was at her side, and while it was heavy to carry both, she dared not leave behind either; one now carried emotional value, the other her beloved weapon.

They talked quietly together as they walked to the town, then stopped as they heard loud footsteps behind them. Turning, they stared in horror at the abomination crashing through the trees towards them. Both turned and began running to town, calling upon the cheetah aspect to help them run faster as they passed the Night Watch. The guards began attacking the monster as he turned upon them, smashing them into the ground. They stopped to watch in horrified fascination, and it wasn't until a cloaked figure stepped past them that they awoke from their terror.

Tall and long-eared like them, a female elf pulled the cloak off of her head, revealing her long white hair and pale blue skin. As the creature turned towards her, she flicked a hand and shadow magic surrounded it, and they saw pieces begin to fall off. She again used her magic, now attacking its mind as it slowly approached her. As its weapon fell upon her, the two sisters reaching for their arrows, holy light surrounded her and the blows failed to strike her. She weaved dark magic around her hands, and send a blast at the monster as more pieces of dead flesh fell off. Rather than attacking again, it stopped and retreated, being recalled by it's unknown master.

Turning towards the girls, the priestess regarded them coolly, her silver eyes looking over them both. "You would have been safer to continue running to town," she said calmly to them. Before they could reply, she held her hands together and bowed, "Ishnu-alah," she greeted. They bowed and returned the wish for good fortune. She walked towards them, and towards the town, and they fell in step behind her.

"Why did you not kill it?" Senkara asked. The priestess turned to look at her.

"I had no cause too. An abomination, yes, but not mine to slay. I merely repelled it until someone else came along to slay it. And I only did such because the two of you were in danger," she said.

"Thank you," Sorina said, again bowing her head to her. The priestess waved it off.

"We watch out for each other, although it is surprising to find a fellow elf out here. I am Anana," she said. The sisters introduced each other, then asked why she was there. "Ah, wandering and giving aid where it is needed. While I specialize in the shadow magics, I can heal quite well. In places such as this... the aid of a priestess is often quite necessary," she said.

"Are you staying in Darkshire?" Senkara asked. Anana nodded.

"For now. I planned on returning to Darnassus soon, however; do you care to join me?" she asked. The girls looked at each other, and needed no words to speak; both longed for home, and now that their quest was over, they had no reason to stay.

"Yes, Anana. We will join you, and return home," Sorina answered for them.


	5. Frustration and Learning

((A/N: I forgot to comment that Sorina and Senkara, while sisters, are not twins. Haven't made an actual age difference, but there is one. Both characters are modeled after my first serious toon, and my best friends toon (interestingly enough, she's older, but my character is higher/played longer than hers), and both ended up being female NE Hunters (no jokes, please; females are more often warriors, and hunter is a form of a fighter even if it's just ranged.) and, oddly enough, looking VERY similar at first glance, haha. So I went with it as a joke. Anyways, with this chapter, we're at about 1/8th into the story, at least going by the plotline list I made. Hm, longer than intended. Ah well. Read, Review, Enjoy.))

**The Bonds We Make**

_Frustration and Learning_

Gazing out at the serene city, with the elegant stone and beautiful wood carvings, with the trees grown to resemble animals. The waterways, calm and peaceful, and the animals that lived in harmony with the elves. It was a wondrous city, especially for having been built so recently.

Senkara walked through the Craftsmen's Terrace, watching as her older sister separated from her to go speak with her mentor, to speak of the leatherworking she did. She approached the inn, and smiled as she saw a familiar face catering to the customers.

"Saelienne!" she called out as she entered the open building. The green-haired elf looked up and smiled.

"Ishnu-dal-dieb, Senkara. Is Sorina not with you?" she asked. Senkara shook her head.

"Visiting the leatherworkers. Watch them send her out to speak with a master out in the wilderness somewhere," she joked, although she knew it was likely to happen soon. Teachers in cities could only teach so much. "Any rumors of late?" she asked. Saelienne tilted her head in thought, before nodding.

"Yes, I have heard that the Arch Druid needs some assistance, although with what I am not sure. Perhaps you should go speak with him?" she said. Senkara nodded, although there was a frozen smile on her face. She wasn't especially fond of the Arch Druid, as he had come across as condescending and arrogant in her admittedly few interactions with him.

"Maybe I shall, but I'll have to speak with Sorina about it first." Sitting down, she requested a drink, and waited. For Sorina, who had gone to train, or for Anana, who had gone to the Temple of the Moon to speak with the other priestesses.

Walking across the white bridge, up the ramp, and into the tranquil building, Anana stopped to gaze upon the statue-fountain in the center. Silently praying to Elune in respect, she turned and walked across the lush grass to Jandria, one of the priestesses there. They bowed to each other, and Jandria took her aside.

"You know of the recent... newcomers to our world, the blue-skinned Draenei?" she asked. Anana quietly nodded. "They are in need of our help, as the island they are on is... tainted, it seems?" Anana frowned slightly.

"Have we not druids would be better suited for this?" she asked. Jandria looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, we do, however they are spread out, and there are mostly only the younger ones left. Besides, I am sure the Draenei could use extra healers," she said. Anana nodded slowly.

"Perhaps one of these younger druids can at least assist me? To help us heal the land, as that is their specialty. I can heal people, but not nature; I would need help before I can do more than heal wounds," she said. Jandria smiled.

"You will have to ask the Arch Druid for such aid. Good luck, Anana. Ande'thoras-ethil," she said, and they again bowed to each other. Anana turned to leave, her brow furrowed. The Arch Druid would not appreciate the intrusion, and she was sure that her request would be met with contempt.

Fandral Staghelm looked disapprovingly at Anana as she approached him. One of the priestesses, following Tyrande and forever at odds with him. They did not seem to understand that they needed to do more, to expand, to act.

Anana bowed to the Arch Druid, and gave him her request. He scowled. "You interupt my work for that? Go ask it of my second in command, Mathrengyl Bearwalker, not me. I am sure he keeps track of the idle young druids, not I. I have more research on Morrowgrain to attend to," he said turning away from her, shaking his head. Anana stared at him, silently reigning in her annoyance as she headed downstairs.

"You need what? A free druid? Hm, let me think," Mathrengyl thought. "Ah yes, I know of one. He is still quite young and in training, but this will be good for him..." Several minutes later, a young elven male, dark green of hair and dark of skin as well, even for a kal'dorei, he looked nervously from Mathrengyl to Anana. "Priestess Anana, this is Rynal, Rynal, this is Anana. She requests a druid to help her journey to the Exodar. Are you willing to go?" he asked. Rynal looked at Anana.

"Yes, Shan'Do Bearwalker, I will go. May I make a request?" he asked, somewhat hesitant. Mathrengyl nodded. "May I bring a friend with me?" he asked.

"That is up to the priestess, Thero'shan Rynal, not me," he said. Rynal looked at Anana and repeated the question. She silently nodded, and he smiled shyly.

"Thank you," he said. They began to depart, and Mathrengyl called out to Anana. She turned to look at him.

"In the future, it is wiser to make such requests to me. Arch Druid Staghelm is such a busy man, after all!" he advised. She raised an eyebrow, and again nodded as she escorted her new companion towards the inn. She stopped suddenly as she sensed someone behind her.

"Come out of hiding, rogue, or you'll find yourself in pain," she warned. A purple haired, young male stepped out of the shadows, a sheepish grin on his face. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "You are?" she asked.

"Talis. I was wondering where you were taking Rynal," he said. Anana looked at Rynal questioningly.

"Talis is, ah, my friend. The one you said could come with us," he said quickly. Looking at Talis, he grinned. "I get to go to Azuremyst and help things over there, and you can come with me, Talis!" he said excitedly. Talis cheered, and Anana closed her eyes, wondering just what she had gotten herself into.

A sigh. Annoyance and exasperation. Would that unholy being never leave her alone? No, a better correction, would the suspicious pest never leave her sister alone? Turning, the blue-skinned, pony-tailed girl turned to face the person following them.

"Shaman, will you please go away?" she requested between gritted teeth. Priest or not, she hadn't the patience to tolerate his presence any longer. She felt she had already tolerated him long enough as it was, all the way from the Exodar to where the humans had landed.

A kind, open-faced male Draenei stopped in his footsteps to gape at the female. "But, why?" he asked, feeling hurt.

"Because you're... weird. And my sister and I do not want your presence. Now go, go back to playing with fire and dirt and water," she said snidely. The male took a step back, pain crossing his face. The other female, her dark hair loose and covering a large portion of part of her face, put a hand on her sisters arm, and looked at the male, smiling compassionately.

"She didn't mean to sound to harsh, Kalnos. But Roala and I much prefer to work together, without the aid of others," she said gently. Roala rolled her eyes.

"You mean we prefer to be in the presence of those that also follow the Light, and who listen to the Naaru, not the words of some crazed krokul," she said. Kalnos' jaw tightened and he looked at the younger girl, his two tendril's twitching in indignation.

"Nobundo is not crazed, and Prophet Velen wouldn't accept him if his words and teachings weren't true. The Elemental Spirits are real, just as real as the Light. Just because I don't follow your path doesn't mean I don't respect the Naaru," he said, trying to restrain his anger. Again, Roala rolled her eyes.

"Kiani, will you please make him leave? He keeps pretending to see things that aren't there, and it's annoying me," she said. Kiani looked first at her sister, then at Kalnos.

"...No. He can stay. Tolerance, sister. The Naaru and Prophet Velen have accepted his kind; so shall we." Turning back to Kalnos, she smiled at him. "You are welcome with us, Kalnos. I may not understand or... like... the path you walk, but I will tolerate it," she said. Roala gave a disgusted look at the young male before turning her back on him, muttering that she was surprised he wasn't krokul, a Broken, yet.

Kalnos smiled at Kiani, even though she couldn't see him. She was so kind, so gentle and patient. While he wasn't one of the Broken, he had found it somewhat difficult to wield the Light, and had just begun turning towards other forms of magic when Nobundo had begun to teach shamanism. He had embraced these new teachings, and revered the Broken for what he had brought to their race.

During his teachings, he had met Kiani, and had been entranced by her. So devoted to the Light, but she didn't look upon him or other shaman with scorn. Understanding and compassion, and he found her soothing. Which was why he often followed her and her younger sister, Roala, so often. Besides, the three were similar in age, and it was easier for a group to fight monsters, than one or two adventurers.

Anana rubbed at a spot between her eyes, trying her hardest not to become angry. Frustrated, she was definitely at. She would not become angry. She was too disciplined for that, and if she wasn't careful, she may just lash out at the nearest person, and the controlled, powers of the mind she specialized in would break free. And these young ones did not quite deserve their vulnerable minds to be blasted. Well, maybe some of them did.

Talis had disappeared. Rynal had tried to explain that his friend was likely just exploring, stealthily wandering around the isle, and that he could fend for himself. Anana hadn't accepted this news well, as Talis had shown a penchant for pickpocketing the bags of the passengers on the ship earlier. He'd returned everything with a happy grin, saying he was merely practicing. Which hadn't helped matters, and the captain hadn't approved. Not at all.

And then Sorina had went off to find him, without consulting Anana. Just as she'd begun to like the huntress, too. She'd valued the female, closest in age to her, and the growing wisdom and logic she had. Then she'd gone off without warning like that, and everything had flown away. At least Senkara was still with them.

Or was she, Anana thought as she turned to look around. Dear Elune, where had the girl gone? It didn't help that she was lost herself in this odd city, with Light energy and crystals everywhere, where the people were alien to her, and Rynal kept looking worriedly at her. She'd come to discover that he was a very self-conscious elf, worrying constantly over whether she was upset or if he was doing something correctly. Which, how was she to know? She knew little of druid magic, and she didn't know if his shifting to bear form was right. Only Talis seemed to calm him down, and his disappearance had made things worse.

"Sh-shan'do Anana?" Rynal asked hesitantly. She looked at him irritably.

"Priestess, Rynal. Priestess. I am not your teacher," she said, for what was getting close to the hundredth time. Not that she disapproved of the title normally, being considered an honored teacher was actually rather flattering, but she wasn't his teacher. She couldn't teach him anything of his chosen path, and preferred to be called priestess in this case. "Anyways, what was it?" she asked.

"W-well, Senkara said that, that she was going to explore the city, see if she could find a way around... A-and a guide..." he said, stepping back and nearly cowering. He was really getting on her last nerve, and Anana normally had quite a lot of patience. Being a priestess, and often a healer for others, demanded extreme amounts of it.

"Rynal, stop being so fearful. I will not hurt you, and you needn't be afraid. Especially not around outsiders," she reprimanded, which unfortunately caused him to flinch. Oh dear Elune, save me from this hellish duty, she prayed. She hadn't meant to upset him, except that as an elf, he had no reason to act this way. It made their kind look badly, and being as old as they were, this was unacceptable.

Turning away from him, she firmly walked over to one of the guards – a Vindicator? - and asked for the location of the nearest inn. It took a moment of translating and rough signing what they wanted, as these Draenei were still learning the common tongue, but she eventually learned where to go. Walking back to Rynal, she motioned for him to follow as she walked up the curving ramp towards the inn.

Requesting a room, she turned to Rynal. "Rynal, we are kal'dorei. We are brave and strong, and have no reason to be so fearful. So, please, stop flinching and cowering from me," she said, softening her tone to as gentle as was possible with her annoyance. He looked uneasily at her, but nodded. "Good. Now, I suppose I shall... give them an hour to return. They better return soon," she added darkly, her eyes narrowing. Shaking her head, she continued. "If not, we'll have to search for them."

Talis was extremely curious about these alien people. Horns and tendrils, hooves and tails. Such odd people, although their glowing blue-white eyes and blue skin wasn't too dissimilar to his own silver eyes and blue-purple skin. He was currently following a group of three that appeared to be young, at least younger than the guards he had seen at the Exodar.

So different from each other, too. The male, having no horns like the females, but rather a fan-like, forehead plate rising from his skull, and the longer, more muscled tail. Bulkier, too, larger hooves, and his blue-gray hair gathered at the top of his head, and those odd, thick tendrils coming from his chin, two of them. The females, on the other hand, had thinner tendrils from behind their ears. Their tails were smaller and shorter, cute and hypnotizing in how they wagged, actually. Both had pale, almost silvery blue skin, and darker, almost black hair. One's was in two ponytails, the other her hair loose. One had horns curving down, the other curving back. How... odd they were to him.

Fascinating, at the same time, which was why he was following them as they journeyed around the isle. He was a curious young kaldorei, and these draenei had, for the moment, caught his attention. They reached a small landing, where he could see several members of the Alliance working. Grinning, he stopped out of the shadows he had been hiding in, and walked into the area as well. Now was the perfect time to say hello, without making them think he was stalking them. Well, he had been, but he didn't need them knowing that.

"Hello!" he called out to them. They paused and turned, surprise registering on each of their faces. He smiled, hoping to be taken as friendly, which he was, and walked towards them. The female with the long hair bowed.

"Greetings, kaldorei. Do you have business with us?" she asked politely. He shrugged.

"Not especially. I just wanted to meet you, since my friends and I are here to help your people," he said, smiling cheerfully. The female looked around.

"Friends?" she asked, frowning. He just grinned even more.

"Back at the Exodar. A priestess kinda leads us. Oh, uh, I'm Talis," he said, bowing. The female bowed as well.

"I am Kiani, and this is my sister Roala, and a... friend, Kalnos," she introduced. Too cheerful, he didn't notice the odd pause as she'd introduced the male.

"An honor t' meet you all," he said. "Now, are you all busy? May I work alongside you, until my friends catch up?" he asked. Kiani looked unsure, and Roala was frowning. It was Kalnos that stepped forward.

"Of course, friend. It would be wonderful to have a kaldorei with us," he said.

Back among the trees, Sorina knelt and watched. She sighed as she saw the young rogue befriend the draenei. She was happy for him, and that they now had allies here, but he should have waited, or come here with them. She debated what to do; did she return and report to Anana, or continue to follow the boy? Looking down at her striped saber, she pet him and reached into her pouch. A scrap of leather, too small for much, and piece of charcoal. It'd work; she scribbled a message on it, gave it to the saber, and turned to continue tracking Talis. The feline, note in mouth, turned and crept off towards the Exodar.

The Exodar was a bright and fascinating place, as far as Senkara was concerned. She'd gotten lost in it, however, and wasn't quite sure how she'd get back to Anana, who she was sure was annoyed with her. The older kaldorei was a good person, patient, but she could do with relaxing somewhat; neither Senkara or Sorina were children, and could look after themselves should they choose to explore. As for Talis, well, the boy could use a few bumps and scrapes to teach him some sense.

She stopped as she saw what looked to be a mine. Inside the Exodar? How intriguing, especially as this was, as she remembered, a ship of some kind. She ventured closer and saw the jewels were in the mine. And a species similar to the Draenei everywhere were the ones working to get the gems. Moving towards them, she remembered that they were a "broken" form of the draenei, some sort of devolution. She watched, a frown marring her face. Why were they the ones working, and not any actual Draenei? How odd, in her opinion.

She decided to move on, as she was gaining the attention of several people in the area. With a cheerful smile and a wave at them, she again walked around. This area seemed very peaceful, mine aside, and she saw shrines dedicated to the various elements. Shamans, yes, she remembered encountering them, although she had no direct knowledge of them. It was all very interesting to her, but she saw that those dedicated to this foreign art were busy, so she moved on, passing into another section of the Exodar.

Wandering across, she suddenly froze as she saw what looked to be a demon. Shedo, the black raptor near her, hissed and stepped back. She turned to look at it directly, and relaxed. It looked like a demon, but was nothing more than light taking the shape of one. She moved closer, curiously walking around the thing. It seemed to come from some machine, and as she looked around, she saw that there were others, similar, arranged around the hall. A nearby vindi chuckled, and moved closer.

"It's to teach people about those that we fight. They are holographic, made of life. If you go closer, you'll learn more. Perhaps the information will help you should you encounter them... Although I would hope not, and wish you luck in such a case," he explained. She nodded slowly and moved towards one, one that resembled one of the tall warriors she'd once seen serving a warlock, vile things. She jumped slightly as a voice from the figure spoke.

"Felguard. Species: Mo'arg. Affiliation: Burning Legion. Function: Standard Soldiers. Conscripted from the mo'arg race, these soldiers serve as the Legion's rank and file soldiers. They are fearless and unwaveringly loyal to their masters Godlike will." She stared at it, wide-eyed, and her raptor nudged her arm comfortingly. She absently pat his head, and began moving on, from one to the other. Information. Didn't Sorina always say it was best to learn about your enemy? To learn of the demons out there, the ones their race fought against, would help, someday.

Demons she had never heard of before, or seen, were taught to her... Shivarra, sayaad, mo'arg, eredar, ered'ruin, nathrezim, annihilan... Where once she had just thought they were all demons, mindless and vile, she was now seeing that there was more to them than that. Variations, military operations, an actual army, not just a mass of something evil and chaotic. But still a large threat. She tried to remember as much of it as she could, to show Anana and Sor later.

Something nudged her leg, and she looked down to see a familiar white and black saber. Smiling, she kneeled down and patted Astennu's head. Looking around, she frowned as she saw that Sorina wasn't around. The feline again nudged her, and she saw the note. She pulled it out, and read it; "Talis with 3 Draenei. Following, will meet later. -Sor." She bit her lip and looked from the note to Astennu, then to Shedo. "Anana won't be happy..."

Motioning for the two pets to follow, she turned and headed out of the Vault of Lights. In the main area, the Seat of the Naaru, she paused to think. Where would Anana have gone? Perhaps an inn? After speaking with a vindicator, though there was a moment this time of difficulty with the language, she headed upstairs towards the inn.

Peeking inside, she saw Anana sitting against the wall, watching the doorway with a mediative expression, Rynal near her. She walked in, and Anana looked at her with an eyebrow raised. Rynal looked up, and smiled shyly at her. She returned the smile to the nervous young kaldorei, and nodded to Anana. "Sorina sent a note, priestess. Talis apparently met some Draenei and is with them; she's following. She said she would meet up with us later.," she reported. Anana closed her eyes, annoyance obvious. Senkara waited, fidgeting slightly.

"Alright, I see. Well, I've been asked to assist at Azure Watch for the moment, if you'd like to come. Perhaps we will meet with Sorina there," Anana informed her.

Kalnos approved of the young male with them. He was oddly cheerful, but a good companion. And he treated Kalnos like he was really a person, and not some freak. True, he asked a dozen questions about their race, but it was only natural that he was curious. He didn't mind answering him, either, and found it rather pleasant to actually have a friend for once.

Kiani also seemed to have taken a liking to the chipper kaldorei, smiling at him in that soft manner of hers, and occasionally voicing an answer when Kalnos couldn't. Roala appeared to be unsure of what to make of him, whether because he was a rogue and so different, or because he was more positive than the calmer, more reserved kaldorei they had met.

They approached the Azure Watch, as they'd intended to sell and resupply, when Talis suddenly rushed forward, yelling at a group of kaldorei near the inn. "Rynal! Priestess!" he called. The three Draenei stopped and held back, various stages of surprise, confusion, and curiosity on their faces. Anana, standing where she'd been talking to Senkara, about to send her off, turned and frowned at Talis.

"Talis... there you are. I suppose it is good to see you unharmed," she said, her voice full of reprimand. Talis ignored her and ran up to Rynal, grabbing his friends arm and pulling him towards the Draenei.

"Do not be alarmed, friends. Those are friends of ours," Sorina said as she stepped from her hiding nearby, smiling in amusement as the three Draenei jumped. She stopped and bowed to them. "I am sorry. I'm Sorina, a friend of Talis, and I was tracking him, as he ran off without warning," she said, casting a bemused look at the boy, who had brought Rynal over.

"Haha, sorry, Sor. Kiani, Roala, Kalnos, this is Rynal. The priestess is Anana, and the other kaldorei is Senkara," he introduced. There were several "hellos" and nodding and bowing, and Anana turned to Talis.

"Talis, you wished to come along. Doing so means that you answer to me, and I would next time prefer if you informed me where you were going. I haven't the time to waste watching and worrying after your every move, and looking for you," she lectured. Turning to Sorina, the disapproval softened. "The same for you, Sorina, although I do appreciate the intention." Sorina nodded at her, and Astennu darted over towards her along with Senkara and Shedo. She knelt to hug her companion, burying her face in his soft fur.

Kiani stepped forward and bowed to Anana. "It is a pleasure to meet a friend of Talis, Priestess Anana, especially one devoted to such a wonderful art. My sister, Roala, is a priestess as well," she said. Anana smiled in amusement.

"I'm sure, but knowing you Draenei, you follow the Light, and use more healing-oriented spells. I follow the kaldorei goddess, Elune. The path I follow is more.. offensive," she said with a dark hint to her smile. Roala scowled, then shrugged, preferring not to get into an argument with the kaldorei priestess.

"So! Are you ready to join us, Talis? We have a lot of work to do," Senkara spoke up, hoping to change topic. Talis frowned, and looked from her and Rynal to the three new friends he'd made, looking torn.

"Ah, but I wanted to work with them for awhile... I'm a rogue, I don't think I could help you as much with healing and fixing things," he said, looking at Anana worriedly. She tilted her head, looking thoughtful.

Kalnos held up a hand. "Perhaps he could work with us? I surely wouldn't mind it, and it would be good for our two groups to work together, yes?" Anana slowly smiled, and nodded.

"Yes, yes it would. In fact, perhaps young Rynal could work with you as well?" she suggested, gesturing to the druid. Rynal stepped back, looking nervous.

"Oh, come on, Ryn. It'd be good for you! And, and Kalnos works with the earth, same as you!" Talis exclaimed happily. Kalnos looked curiously at Rynal.

"Are you a shaman, then? I didn't know the kaldorei followed that path..."

"No, no... I'm a druid. I work with nature... But I guess... a shaman does the same, just differently...?" Rynal asked questioningly. Kalnos smiled at the nervous young druid.

"Sort of. We work with all the elements, from earth – nature – to the air, fire, and even water. We use them to help us, and we work with them to keep things in balance," he explained. Rynal nodded.

"O-ok... if... if it's ok with Shan... er, Priestess Anana, then I will work with you," he said, correcting himself from the term. Anana nodded.

"Yes, of course you can. Talis and Rynal will work with Kiani, Roala, and Kalnos... Senkara and Sorina can aid me, for now. It will be good training for you Rynal, and I'll send for you if I need your assistance. ...Is that alright with you, priestess?" she asked, noticing a scowl darkening Roala's face.

"Hmph. I suppose it will have to be, I would just prefer Kalnos aiding you. We don't need the aid of someone who plays with rocks," she grumbled. Anana's face darkened, but it was Sorina that replied.

"Plays with rocks? Oh, and I suppose I'm just playing with animals and only pretending to use nature-magic to enhance my arrows. Right? But if we go along that path, I'm sure you're only playing with a philosophy, pretending it gives you power," she mocked. Noting that Roala looked furious, she smirked. "See? It upsets you, doesn't it. I don't believe in your 'Light', although I do believe in your Naaru. Don't dismiss the power of nature or the elements just because you cannot see them. We each have our own path to follow, using powers that we have at our disposal from the world around us. Our choices allow us certain knowledge, and just because another doesn't know of it doesn't make it any less real. It's a fact of life I've slowly begun to learn, but it's a true one, and if you wish to survive in this world, my friend, you'll learn to be more tolerant than that."

Roala looked shocked at the statement, and Kiani smiled gently. "Thank you, Sorina. What you must understand is that we Draenei are rather devoted to the Light, and to deviate away from that is frowned upon, as doing so has often led to demonic corruption. However... As I told my sister before, if our Prophet Velen has accepted shamanism and other such powers... then so shall we," she said, looking at her sister. Roala again grumbled, but backed down. Kiani smiled brightly. "Priestess Anana, I realized that our groups would be unbalanced as they are now; three of you, five of us. Not counting the animals of course, but still. Perhaps my sister could accompany you, and gain some training of her own?" she suggested. Roala looked appalled, and stared from her sister to Anana.

Anana smiled and nodded, a mischievous gleam in her silver eyes. "Ah, yes. I do believe that that would be a wonderful idea. Since we come from separate beliefs, Roala, I do think that it would do us well to... learn from each other. Spells, believes, and... opinions, don't you think?" she asked. Roala snorted, crossed her arms, and looked at her sister, who was giving her a hard, pointed look. She sighed, and nodded at Anana.

"Yes, of course, priestess. It will be a good experience. Shall we go?"


	6. Obligations, Attack, and Decisions

((To be honest, when I first started writing this story, this was the first chapter I wrote. I started planning out this grand story with many people, then gave up. Couple weeks ago, I wrote the story with Jang'Ai and Lena, and from there, incorporated it into my original idea. Sat down, wrote out characters and plots, and voila. Anyways, time to move away from Anana and company; I give you, Miralei, Mahina, Marsali, and Narayan.))

**The Bonds We Make**  
_Obligations, Attack, and Decisions – Miralei, Tevona, and Mahina, Marsali and Narayan_

Miralei didn't like being around people. She disdained having to go to crowded cities for supplies, and hated when some adventurer asked for her help. She had lost friends and allies in pointless, biased fighting, and did not want to get close to others again.

Even if she did, many of the current generation annoyed her. Restless, foolish, hurrying, ignorant... all of them. All of them caught up in getting more powerful and everyone else be damned in that quest for power. All of them caught up in riches and overpricing goods, driving up an already difficult economy. All of them caught up in prejudice and glory and fighting against perceived enemies to win a never ending war and claim the right of rank and honor.

No, Miralei did not like being around people. It was one of the reasons she was thankful for being a hunter. She could survive quite well on her own, thank you very much. A pet was a perfect companion when loneliness struck, and she could take down her enemies well enough when she was careful with her targets. She had earned her power and level of skill through strategy and cleverness, not the impulsive charging in of others. She did often wish she could heal herself, but then again, that was what bandages were for. She often had enough on hand, as well as food and drink for when her body deemed it necessary. She kept her quiver full, had food for the white tiger with her, and her supplies kept her safe and capable of surviving in the forests or jungles of wherever she chose to roam. Yes, she was perfectly fine being on her own.

Which was why when she heard someone coming towards her, crashing clumsily through the jungle behind her, she chose to hide in the shadows of a tree, signaling to Jahi to hide as well. Where they had been, a fellow kaldorei stumbled, holding an arm to one of many wounds, her other hand almost literally dragging a child behind her. A tiger roared behind them, close, and the elf looked terrified at the sound.

Miralei did not need to become involved. She did not want to. To do so would mean getting dragged into a mess. She wasn't bound by any allegiance to help the elf. However, the child was different. Jahi rubbed his head against her leg and she nearly sighed. The elf wasn't a worry for Miralei; she'd live or die as fate -and the jungle- saw fit. The child seemed dragged into this, and Miralei knew she could not allow the child to come to harm, not without regretting it immensely later.

An orange tiger, so common here in the jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, dashed towards them, mouth open in a growl, it's eyes focused on the bleeding elf. As it leapt towards its victim, Jahi came out of hiding to meet the tiger mid-air. The two cats clawed, hissed, and growled at each other while Miralei moved to stand in front of the elf, two swords held out in case the tiger got away from Jahi. It didn't, and was soon chased off by the larger feline as its injuries became too much for it to bear.

As the white tiger raced after it to finish the job, Miralei turned to look at the elf and the child. The former was panting, fear, fatigue, and thanks mingling on her face, as well as bruises and scratches. The latter was staring calmly at Miralei with wide, innocent silver eyes. The child was a kaldorei like them, and Miralei tried to recollect the last time she had seen a child of her race. It had been a long time, although her recent absence from her homelands was to blame.

"Th... thanks, hu... huntress..." the elf managed to say before her knees buckled on her. Miralei sighed and knelt down next to her, the child turning to look at her guardian, eyes filling with worry. Miralei saw several open wounds on the elf and began pulling out bandages as Jahi returned, his ivory fangs reddened with blood. Miralei nodded towards the child, and the tiger moved to nuzzle the girl. He was much larger than the small child, and he nearly knocked her over in his affection. She giggled, the sound like water in a stream, clear and innocent and joyful, and patted the animal. He purred while Miralei tended to the elf. "Thank... you. Please, help me..." the elf pleaded, her eyes dim in pain.

"I am. Once your wounds are dealt with I shall take you to Booty Bay. You'll be fine there," Miralei stated dispassionately. After that, she could be rid of the two, back to her solitude and freedom, obligations done. No more people to try and take care of. She wasn't capable of that; the past was proof of that. The elf shook her head.

"No. Mahina... help me... guard her. Please," she begged. At the sound of her name, the girl looked up, eyes bright with curiosity as she hugged the cat. Miralei looked at the girl, watched her, then looked down at the wounds.

"Of course. She'll be protected by Jahi while we travel. Booty Bay will be safe enough until you can travel elsewhere," she replied. Again, the elf shook her head.

"Not safe... Stormwind... Darnassus... Need to get her to... An Alliance city... Please. Help," she again begged. Miralei sighed and shook her head.

"I have other things to do. I'm sorry. I can take you to Booty Bay, and give you some money. I haven't the time fo-" A spear cut her off before she could finish the denial, and she immediately sprang to her feet, drawing her bow as Jahi turned to guard the girl, growling at the spear. Trolls, Miralei thought. They'd been close to one of the troll tribes in the jungle, and one had caught up with them. Miralei hoped it was only one, that it hadn't gone for others, although her luck would be against such a positive outcome. Jahi stalked forward, preparing to attack, as Miralei knelt down to lay a trap. Something freeze any enemy that got too close to the child and woman.

Another spear hit the tree she'd earlier hid behind, and a snarl told her Jahi had attacked, and Miralei saw the blue skin of the troll through the trees. Notching an arrow, she let it fly and heard the scream of pain as it hit her target. A yell from behind warned her in time to dodge an attack from another troll that came from her left, and she pulled out her swords and began fighting. Sparing a glance at the other elf, she saw that the woman was on her feet and facing a third troll.

Cursing that her companion was weakened, she called Jahi back to attack the troll, to help the elf. It wasn't necessary, she realized, as the elf drew roots from the ground to trap the troll while she began firing off spells of nature at it. Druid, Miralei discovered, rare for a female. And likely too tired to heal before.

Ducking and slashing, Miralei pushed the Troll back as Jahi shot past to sink his teeth into the leg of the other elf's attacker. The troll Jahi had attacked previously limped towards them, an axe drawn, an arrow sticking from his arm and several claw marks on his torso. He raised the axe to hack away at Mahina when the child stepped closer to the trap, pulling the troll into it and thus freezing her attacker.

Miralei managed to slay her victim with a cut at his throat, then pulled out her bow to fire at the troll, unfreezing him and drawing him to her. Before he could reach her, the druid cast a spell and the troll fell dead. Jahi and the druid had already slain the remaining troll. Pausing for breath, Miralei checked first the child, who was unscathed, and then the druid. More wounds, and now Miralei doubted she had bandages left to wrap them in.

"Can you heal yourself this time?" she asked. The druid shook her head and Miralei sighed. No, of course, she'd wasted it, trying to fight off the trolls. Typical. She used what few bandages she had left to help the druid, but now she worried that she had lost too much blood and spent too much energy when she needed to rest. "Will you be alright?" she asked. There was silence, and then the druid shook her head.

"I do not think so... I haven't any energy, any mana, I... can't heal. I've lost too much..." she bit her lip, her tired body betraying her by trembling and nearly giving out again. Miralei believed her; this druid was near death. "Please, help me... Can you... watch Mahina? Take her to... Darnassus? Or at least... Stormwind?" she asked. Miralei frowned. She didn't need to be dragged down by a child, but she couldn't very well let the girl try and survive out here.

"As I told you earlier, I can take her too Booty Bay... get her a ride or pay for an escort..."

"No. Don't... I don't... trust anyone there, pirates and goblins... You. Please. I need... a promise," she begged, her dim eyes silently pleading what her weak body could barely voice. Miralei looked at her for a long time, before slowly nodding.

"Alright. I'll take her to Stormwind, see if I can get her to Darnassus. But who do I give her to? What do I say?" she asked. The druid leaned against a tree and slowly slid down.

"Another druid. Tell them..." she said, her eyes starting to lose their glow altogether, "Tevona... was watching... her... They'll know..." she trailed off, her eyes closing. Miralei waited for more, then when none seemed apparent, she knelt down. No pulse, no life. She spat a curse; she'd hoped for her to merely need rest, and be able to at least make it to Booty Bay, or perhaps through Duskwood and to Darkshire. She looked at the child, Mahina she'd been called, then back at the druid. No, Tevona; that'd been her name.

She sat on her heels and debated what to do. She was now obligated to watch the child and get her to at least Stormwind. Or Darnassus. She wasn't sure what to do with Tevona, though; her mount couldn't carry Miralei, Mahina, and Tevona's corpse. She looked at Jahi, and wondered if he could carry the child; he was definitely big enough to do the task, unconventional though it was.

"Jahi..." she called, and pointed to Mahina. The tiger looked solemnly at the child, then responded by licking her. Miralei let a smile tug at her lips as the child giggled, and lifted her small frame before setting her on the tiger's back. Seeking a way for the girl to hold on somehow, she cut a strip of leather from some she'd skinned earlier, and tied it around Jahi's neck. He shook himself slightly, unaccustomed to the collar or the weight, but otherwise didn't seem to complain.

"Mahina, hold onto this. Don't tug his fur. Hug his neck if you need to, but not too tightly. ...Yell if you fall off, but otherwise try to keep quiet. We are not safe here," she said as she summoned a striped frostsaber to her. Petting the larger cat's neck, she grabbed Tevona and grunted as she hoisted her onto her mount's back. Her mount growled at the weight of the body, and Miralei frowned. "Hush, it's only for a little while," she admonished the feline.

She stopped to look around, debating; Booty Bay would mean waiting for a boat, then across the Barrens and Ashencale. Going to Darkshire would mean an easier trip to Stormwind and getting hold of a druid, or better luck finding a mage for a portal. Climbing onto the mounts back, she whistled and both cats began running at an easy pace, seeking out the trail towards Duskwood.

He waited, just out of sight, behind a gloomy tree. He needn't bother hiding, though; she couldn't see past his stealth at the moment, but he preferred the extra precaution, just in case. He waited until she had passed him, then stepped out behind her, following her hooded figure. Unsheathing one of his daggers, he raised it towards her throat when she spoke.

"Going to cut my throat again, Narayan?" Her voice was raspy from misuse, and soft as she spoke little around most people. Narayan stepped back as she stopped, and scowled at her.

"Now, Marsali, how did you know it was me, and that I was there?" he demanded. As an afterthought, he added, "and I already apologized for that, dammit." She turned, and beneath her hood, he saw her smile. She had once been very pretty, and he was thankful that her face hadn't reached the level of decay her body had.

"I no longer breathe, so I hear the air leaving your body. My heart no longer beats, thus I hear yours thud in your chest. ...And I've been around you long enough to know your presence. Trust me; if it hadn't been you, I would have set you afire and had you rolling in agony upon the ground," she said. Narayan crossed his arms.

"Hardly fair, 'Sali. Must you ruin my only bit of fun out here in this cursed boring place?" he asked, idly watching as a demonic hound ran by to tear apart a rabbit, then went back to its mindless pacing. "Killing things here is a tad too simple, you know."

She nodded, and continued walking towards down the road. "Yes, I know. You've complained of it often enough since we arrived down here from Silvermoon... You did not have to accompany me, as I've already told you. I am quite used to the solitude," she reminded him. He shrugged.

"Solitude? You summon a freaking demon when you get lonely, woman. And I can't exactly leave you alone, ever since you tracked me down and reminded me that I'd, what was it, now? Murdered you? Gave you a mercy killing rather than be left as fodder for the Scourge, more like it. But do I get any thanks for any of the effort I did? Nooo. Rather, you choose to accuse me of not trying hard enough to save you," he scowled. "And if I didn't come with you, you'd complain later that I wasn't there to help you on... whatever quest you've been sent to do. ...Mind telling me yet what we _are _doing in this wasteland you Forsaken call a home?" he asked.

Marsali smiled, quite used to his rants. She often suspected that he complained as such for the sole purpose of keeping her entertained and from getting melancholy, as most Forsaken were wont to do. Except that she knew his kind to also do things for personal reasons; what his were, she didn't know. In fact, she wasn't entirely sure why he did much of anything, especially why he chose to stay with her. He had no obligations to her, no reason to stick around, and yet he did.

They both knew that she'd only complained once about his killing her, and she hadn't been entirely serious about the complaint. Given his generally playful behavior, however, she did know that he was fond of teasing. Especially her. And, after all, she understood perfectly well that when he'd chosen to kill her, she was near death and in a great amount of pain anyways. He'd done her a favor, truth be told, and hadn't at the time realized that she was infected with the plague. Neither had she, really, not until she'd woken up under the Lich King's service... she shuddered at the vague memories of what she'd been forced to do to her fellow humans.

Feeling a poke in her ribcage -literally- brought her out of her reverie. She stopped and looked down at her robes, where there was now a hole. She purposefully looked from the hole, to his dagger, to him. Well, he couldn't exactly see what she was looking at since he couldn't see her eyes, but she was sure he got the picture. "You... are going to pay for the repair on that, aren't you?" she asked. He rolled those glowing green eyes of his, and nodded.

"Yes, yes. Of course. If you wouldn't be spacing out on me. I swear, being undead rotted out half your brain. No wonder you never pay any attention to me," he said. She raised what eyebrow she would have had if it hadn't decayed away.

"Of course my brain is rotted away. So is the rest of my body. If you had anything interesting to say, then I'd pay attention ...Now what was it you were complaining about now?" she asked.

"Not complaining; asking. Where are we going," he repeated. She shrugged her bony shoulders.

"Hillsbrad Foothills," she replied.

"Uh-huh. Why? You and me both already finished our services down there, so why return?"

"Because we're supposed to help out two others down there. One's still young, the other... you'll know him. I was asked to give them assistance with the younger one's training," she said as they trudged down the road. They continued on in silence, before he spoke up again.

"And we didn't take the bats down there... why?" he asked, looking down at the dust coating his leather boots. He'd just bought them, too; he did not approve of anything other than blood dirtying them up.

"You were too busy playing hide-and-seek... and I would like to pick up some herbs along the way," she said as she walked off the road to pick the flowers off a peacebloom. He sighed.

"It is not hide-and-seek; there were other travelers along the road, you know. And, silly flower-picker. You can get better herbs in the foothills, can't you?" he asked as they went back to the road. She shrugged and seemed to deem it unnecessary to reply. They stopped a few more times for her to pick more of her herbs, when he stopped and stood still in the road, his head tilted. "You hear that?" he asked.

"I hear nothing, other than your supposedly silky, and yet loudly annoying, voice, Narayan," she muttered, more interested in the silverleaf than the elf. He shook his head and was staring off down the road. He mouthed a curse before grabbing her and pulling her behind a tree, shoving her to the ground, stealthing himself and hopefully making her as small a target as possible. Rather than demand an explanation, Marsali calmly tilted her head up at him and waited. She'd been adventuring with him long enough to know that if he pulled them both into hiding, then something he didn't want to face was coming.

Sure enough, a group of four or five Alliance soon came down the road, each on mounts, and each racing full speed in the direction of the Undercity. Narayan again cursed as he saw them and the direction they were headed. Marsali merely watched them quietly, a slight frown. Even after they had run past, the two stayed in hiding. Moments later, they saw two orcs following on their wolf mounts, one badly injured, the other looking extremely angry. Again, they waited until they had passed, and then Narayan came out of hiding to stand on the road, watching as the riders disappeared. Marsali slowly stood and walked to stand next to him.

"They... could be headed for the Monastery..." she suggested halfheartedly. He shook his head.

"No. Not if they attacked those orcs, which seems likely. Undercity looks to be where they're headed..." he said, frowning.

"We could go back. Help defend it..." she said, although she didn't move.

"Sure. We could also have our asses handed to us, and hope a priest comes along to get to me before my soul departs for the Twisting Nether. You at least are already dead; you'll return eventually. ...Besides. There's plenty of people in the city to defend it; they won't miss a lone, yet dashingly handsome, rogue, and a gloomy warlock," he said, turning to continue walking. She sighed, looked to the sky as if begging someone to teach the rogue modesty, then nodded, and they soon left the glades and entered the forest.

It wasn't that the two of them were cowards. However, there was a difference between fighting when you had a chance, and fighting a battle you could not win. It would be foolish to try, when neither of them were quite strong enough to take on the group. Maybe with those orcs' help... but they would want to get healed first. And as Narayan had said, the city could defend itself from a small raiding party. It didn't need two extra fighters trying to get in on the kills; there was such a thing as overkilling ones opponents.

"So, Tarren Mill, once we get to the Sepulcher? Or are you going to make me walk the entire way. In which case, I won't owe you for the hole in your shirt; you'll even it out with wearing down the soles in my boots," he said with a smirk. She laughed.

"Yes, we'll fly the rest of the way, don't worry. You needn't worry about your oh-so-fashionable boots," she replied.

Miralei sighed as she looked at the child. She'd been sitting there for awhile now, going over her options. She was now obligated to watch the child and get her to at least Stormwind. Or Darnassus. She wasn't sure what to do with Tevona, though; her mount couldn't carry Miralei, Mahina, and Tevona's corpse. She looked at Jahi, and wondered if he could carry the child; he was definitely big enough to do the task, unconventional though it was.

"Jahi..." she called, and pointed to Mahina. The tiger looked solemnly at the child, then responded by licking her. Miralei let a smile tug at her lips as the child giggled, and lifted her small frame before setting her on the tiger's back. Seeking a way for the girl to hold on somehow, she cut a strip of leather from some she'd skinned earlier, and tied it around Jahi's neck. He shook himself slightly, unaccustomed to the collar or the weight, but otherwise didn't seem to complain.

"Mahina, hold onto this. Don't tug his fur. Hug his neck if you need to, but not too tightly. ...Yell if you fall off, but otherwise try to keep quiet. We are not safe here," she said as she summoned a striped frostsaber to her. Petting the larger cat's neck, she grabbed Tevona and grunted as she hoisted her onto her mount's back. Her mount growled at the weight of the body, and Miralei frowned. "Hush, it's only for a little while," she admonished the feline.

She stopped to look around, debating; Booty Bay would mean waiting for a boat, then across the Barrens and Ashencale. Going to Darkshire would mean an easier trip to Stormwind and getting hold of a druid, or better luck finding a mage for a portal. Climbing onto the mounts back, she whistled and both cats began running at an easy pace, seeking out the trail towards Duskwood.

Miralei paused by the river. Nearby was a camp, Nesingwary's, if she remembered the Dwarf correctly. It was getting dark, and while she didn't trust the creatures of the jungle, she distrusted the tainted forests of Duskwood even more. She'd learned long ago not to trust staying alone at night in such areas with even the slightest hint of an undead. Especially now that she had to protect Mahina.

She chose to set up camp near this one, though not in it. She didn't need their company, or that of the fools they sent off to hunt creatures for profit. Ordering Jahi and Mahina to stay by the fire, she went down to the river and gathered water for their trip. She stayed wary of the crocolisks and frenzies lurking nearby, but wasn't especially worried over them.

She also choose to go over her options again. Stormwind had at least one druid, she was sure, and she figured that she could find a traveling druid willing to take the kid off her hands. Maybe she could find a mage to portal her to Darnassus, not that she especially trusted mages and their use of the Arcane.

It wasn't that she didn't want to have the kid around. She glanced back at where the child was sitting comfortably, sleepily, against a content Jahi. She wouldn't mind, given how quiet, eager, and obedient Mahina seemed. But she didn't want to be responsible for a life again. Looking back down at the water, at her reflection, she frowned. She'd failed miserably at that the last time. Fate had shown that she could only, barely, care for herself and Jahi, much less another person. She didn't need the added weight of Mahina dragging her down further, if something happened to her.

Pulling off her hood that she normally kept over her head, she slid a finger gingerly over the white scars marring her otherwise pale blue skin. One across her nose, and a clawed mark across her cheeks. Farther down, more claw marks across her shoulders and back... She closed her eyes, not wishing to see them anymore. She couldn't close her mind to the memories, though. The voices, the blood, the pain. _"She's... dead? No... No! She can't be! You promised. Miralei, you _promised she's make it back safe_!!" _

Shoving her hands into the cold water and splashing her face managed to push back the past. For now. She ran her now wet hands through her hair, almost missing its old length. But, no, she'd cut it when she'd left her old life. It now barely brushed her shoulders.

A rumbling purr and a strong nudge from Jahi startled her and when she turned, she saw the cat looking curiously at her, Mahina a few steps back looking anxiously at her. She smiled and pat Jahi as she stood up and looked at the child. She looked worried that Miralei couldn't help but smile reassuringly at her and patting her head as she had Jahi as she went back to their camp. Past fears or not, she would do her best to see the child safely on her way.

Night passed without trouble, as the beasts of the forest were kept away by the presence of the other, larger camp nearby. Mahina had come over to Miralei in the middle of the night, and the older kaldorei had been woken to the child crawling under the blanket to curl up next to her. A smile tugged at her lips as she stared down at the child. A tender emotion, one she hadn't felt in a long time, washed over her before she pulled the blanket higher to cover the child. Again she went back to sleep, dozing lightly.

When morning finally came, she got up carefully to avoid waking the child. Making sure the blanket was comfortably around her, she stood up and stared down at her. One hand rested on her stomach, and she slid it beneath the thick cloth tunic she'd slept in, feeling the scars crossing her torso. Jahi yawned behind her, and the sound brought her back to the present. Quickly dressing in her mail armor, she set about picking up the camp.

Mahina woke up and watched Miralei momentarily before silently rolling up the blanket and bedding she'd slept on. As Miralei turned to face her, she again smiled and packed away the bedding. So helpful, so quiet. A good child. Once sure that everything was picked up, she picked up Mahina and set her on Jahi's back. Jahi purred softly as the child rubbed his ears, and Miralei reached down to pick up the corpse she was bringing with her. She'd wrapped it up the night before in a spare blanket, and again tossed it over her mounts back before mounting up. They took off, destined for Darkshire.

She was met with worry and suspicious as she entered the desolate town. The guards stopped her and pointed to the wrapped bundle on her mount, and she explained the situation to them. They were relieved it wasn't one of their own, or victim to one of the undead, but they pointed her towards the graveyard nearby. She could bury the poor druid there. She nodded and lead her mount over to where the flightmaster was.

"Jahi, stay here with Mahina," she ordered as she dismounted and lead her saber towards the graveyard. The flightmaster looked down at the child and the white tiger, amused by the sight of child on cat, before turning to watch the kaldorei. A shovel was inside the graveyard, and Miralei grabbed hold of it to begin digging the grave. She disliked that it was in such dark soil, in a tainted land, that she would have to bury the druid, but she'd buried friends in far more corrupted lands than this. She couldn't very well take the druid all the way to Stormwind with her, after all; there was only so long you kept a dead body with you.

Once the hole was deep enough, she pulled Tevona off of her mount and set her inside the grave. Once again taking the shovel, she worked now to bury the womans body. Task finished, she searched around, and found a broken piece of wood. It would do; she set it near the grave, and knelt. Pulling out her skinning knife, she wrote 'Tevona' on it. Pausing to think, she added 'Devoted kaldorei druid' so that people would know her, should they care to look.

Walking back towards Mahina, she debated whether to fly to Stormwind, or ride. Flight would be faster, but she'd have to either stable her mount or task him with running to the city, which would take long for him to arrive. No, it would be better to ride the rest of the way; she didn't want to be separated from her mount, and doubted the gryphon could carry her, Jahi, and Mahina. And she didn't trust the gryphon to carry Mahina alone; what if the child fell off?

Picking Mahina up and off of Jahi, she now set her on the larger saber. She turned and looked at Miralei, confused. "Jahi can't run as fast with you on him, Mahina," she explained as she hopped on. The frostsaber, on the other hand, felt no difference with Mahina's weight. Directing both cats towards the road, she signaled for her mount to run at full speed. In one hand, she held the reins. Her other arm, she held around the small childs waist.

It felt good to have the child there, to feel the warmth and weight. That tenderness again crept over her, but she shook it off. The last time she'd been responsible for people, she'd gotten scarred and they had been killed. _Damn the Scourge, _she thought. She'd nearly died as well, when she and the others had been foolish enough to think themselves strong enough to help push back the vile undead. Look what had happened in the end; she'd lost her friends, and she'd made an enemy when she'd failed to protect them. _Fyra asked me to keep her sister safe, and I failed; what makes me think I can keep Mahina safe as well?_

They rode quickly through the forest, Miralei keeping an eye out for the monstrous worgen or wicked undead that roamed the forest. So dark, so tainted, so full of corruption. To think, these lands were once peaceful, green. Now, it was a deadly place. She could hear, in the distance, the screams and echoes of battles, or people falling to the monsters. She shuddered, and felt Mahina cringe and lean back against her. _My own would've been this old by now_, she thought sadly as she tightened her grip on Mahina. Capable or not, she would at least see the child safely to Stormwind and journeying to their home city of Darnassus.


End file.
